The Fall of Konaha!
by Sparky61390
Summary: What if Orochimaru had some extra help invading Konaha? What if he actually managed to summon all three former Hokages? What if he WON? Who dies defending others, and the village? Who survives, and becomes bent on revenge? Soon to be NaruHina, some Ino/Ch
1. Chapter 1

The Fall of Konaha

**The Fall of Konaha**

"Chidori!" Sasuke cried, rushing towards the closing shell of sand surrounding Gaara. Several large spikes shot out to defend, but Sasuke pressed on, forcing his Chidori into the sphere. A blood-curdling scream was heard, silencing the audience. The sand began to fall, and Gaara was still standing, only because Sasuke was holding him up. Gaara looked in horror at the lightning coursing across his body, the point of entry being his chest. Blood fell freely from his chest, and life began to drain from his eyes. Sasuke pulled his hand back, and watched Gaara fall. The proctor rushed over, putting two fingers to Gaara's throat.

"Gaara is dead!" he shouted, and the crowd cried in surprise. Sasuke stepped back a few feet, his eyes wide, having never killed someone before, and only ever wanting to kill Itachi.

The sand ninja sensei looked on in horror as he stood behind Konkuro and Temari.

"Gaara is dead, we need to attack now or abandon the plans!" He said into a small radio.

The kazekage stood up, and the hokage took little notice. A great rumbling was heard, and three massive snakes could be seen at the far side of the village. The few shinobi standing guard at the viewing platform looked to the hokage, he nodded, and they left.

"An interesting turn of events." The kazekage noted.

"Who ever is behind this will be brought to justice." The third hokage replied.

"You will try." Orochimaru replied as he cast aside the Kazekage's clothing, drawing a kunai and placing it at the Hokage's neck before he could react.

"Defend the Hokage!" several Anbu Black Ops shouted as they leapt to the viewing platform.

"Raise the shield!" Orochimaru cried to the four previously unnoticed sound ninja.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru!" the sound ninja four summoned the shield, encasing the two Kages inside. The anbu futilely hurled kunai at the shield, and they bounced off harmlessly.

"Alright, Sarutobi. We will fight, alone, and you will die." Orochimaru said as he took the knife from Sarutobi's throat and walked slowly backwards. He shed his outfit, revealing the more familiar outfit typical for Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru...You are actually going through with it, aren't you? All because you were not chosen to be the fourth Hokage. It isn't too late, you can stop this foolishness!"

"That is where you are wrong, Sarutobi Sensei! It is far too late! You were practically begging for death by not allowing me to become the Hokage! For your arrogance, you shall die!"

"You are wrong, Orochimaru. It is you that is arrogant. Your arrogance blinds you, so much that you could not see the truth! Minato was chosen to be the fourth because of his selflessness! You thought of only yourself, and that is why you were denied! If it must come down to it, I will fight you, my pupil!"

"I am NOT your pupil, not anymore, you old fool! For all that it matters, I am now the master, and you are the student! I have surpassed you in every way by mastering all jutsu! I will kill you here, and claim my rightful title as the fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village! Konaha as you know it will cease to exist!"

"You will never be the Hokage, because so long as breath remains in their bodies, I know that the ninja of this village will never bow to you. You never did understand what it meant, to truly be a leaf village shinobi!"

"Well then, Sarutobi Sensei, since you are going to die here, that secret will die with you!"

"It is not a secret, Orochimaru. Everyone else always understood. You were blinded by ambition, your quest for more jutsu has brought you only pain and misery, and you carry them with you like a plague, infecting the lives of everyone else!"

"Shut up, you old, doddering fool! You will die now, without your precious Leaf Ninja to save you!"

"Very well, Orochimaru. I never wanted it to come to this. Elemental Mixture! Fire and Earth Styles! Flaming Mud River!" The Hokage sped through a dozen hand signs, and shot an oil slick from him directly to Orochimaru. He then proceeded to light the oil on fire, in a brilliant display. The fire caught up to Orochimaru, the flames crept up his clothing and consumed his body. He could be heard screaming, and then laughing.

"Did you really think such a pathetic jutsu would deal with me? Sarutobi Sensei, you underestimate your own teachings! This jutsu will be the end of you, Sarutobi! Summoning Jutsu! Impure World Resurrection!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, I would, Sarutobi Sensei!" Three coffins shot from the ground, and began to smoke.

"What is going on in there? What are those coffins?" The leader of the anbu present asked.

"I cannot allow this jutsu to be finished! If all three are revived, Konaha will fall!" Sarutobi shouted, dashing towards the coffin clearly marked a "IV". He reared back with his leg, and was about to connect, when Orochimaru spat out his massive blade from his throat. Sarutobi dodged the blade, which Orochimaru continued to pursue him with, controlling it only with his mind.

"Die, Sarutobi!" Orochimaru screeched, as the three coffins exploded. Three pale figures emerged from the coffins, each dressed in separate battle outfits.

"Orochimaru, you defile their memories by bringing them back!"

"Sarutobi." Minato said calmly, still fully pale.

"Minato, I am sorry. I failed, I failed all of you, and I failed Konaha!"

"It isn't your fault-" Minato paused as the jutsu began to drag him under Orochimaru's control. "It is the snake's fault. He was rotten from the very beginning, your tutelage had no hand in this."

"Hashirame Senju...The first Hokage, and his brother, the second Hokage...Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage... I have failed you all, and for that, I am sorry. Summoning Jutsu!" Sarutobi cried, summoning the gorilla, Enma, to his side.

"Sarutobi, I wish you had been able to summon me under less dangerous pretenses. It saddens me to see them like this. What would you have me do?" Enma asked. Sarutobi replied only by holding one hand out, and Enma became a staff. Sarutobi grasped a firm hold of it, and held his ground. The three former Hokage's had gone fully under Orochimaru's control, and they began to walk towards Sarutobi.

"Sarutobi! Now you die!" Orochimaru screamed, his eyes full of madness. Sarutobi took a deep breath, and watched as the Hokage's rushed at him. The first reached out to punch him, and he deflected with his staff. The second lashed out with a kick, and Sarutobi ducked. He leapt backwards and flipped as the fourth's rasengan crushed the part of the building that had been under his feet. He retaliated, rushing forward and swiping at the fourth with his staff, who ducked, countering with an elbow deep into the aging Hokage's stomach. He stumbled backward, and the second swept his feet from under him. The first then kicked him once, sending him flying backwards.

"Wood Release: Secret Technique, Birth of Dense Woodlands!" the first shouted, and a forest sprang up to catch Sarutobi in his flight. He hit a tree, and slumped to the ground. Roots quickly grabbed onto his feet and arms as he climbed to his feet.

"Water Prison Technique!" the Second shouted, landing next to Sarutobi, prisoning him in a globe of water much larger than necessary. The fourth rushed forward, partially entering the sphere, holding a spinning rasengan at Sarutobi's side. Orochimaru walked nonchalantly forward, laughing maniachally.

"Lord Hokage!" the anbu shouted, resuming their efforts to destroy the shield, without any luck.

"What is the matter, Orochimaru? Your control over them is so weak that you couldn't convince them to kill me?" Sarutobi spat.

"No, Oh no, Sarutobi Sensei. Having them kill you just wouldn't do! I want the pleasure of killing you myself!" Orochimaru said as he picked up the sword. He entered the water prison, standing in it in front of Sarutobi. He held the blade at Sarutobi's neck, his arms outstretched. He raised Sarutobi's chin enough to look him in the eye. "Now, your reign has ended, 'Lord Hokage'" Orochimaru said with much contempt.

"Fine, but Konaha will never bow to you! You are as evil as this nation is beautiful! The Leaf Shinobi will defeat you, Orochimaru! It is inevitable!"

"Oh, but that is where you are wrong! You see, it isn't just me here. The entire army of the Hidden Sound Village, as well as the Hidden Sand village, is here! With their combined might, your pathetic little shinobi will fall!"

"The shinobi of this village are of a different breed, Orochimaru. They are not so easily conquered. Konaha will prevail, and a new Hokage will be chosen, but it will not be you, so long as a single Leaf Shinobi still draws breath!" Orochimaru slapped Sarutobi with his left hand, and Sarutobi's lip drew blood.

"Shut up, you insignificant worm! You doddering old fool, I have another ally with me as well! One who far predates your time! He is the origin of the mighty Uchiha clan!"

"Madara? You couldn't possibly have him here as well! He couldn't be alive!"

"Oh, but he is, Sarutobi, and through no help of my own. He came to me, knowing I had a vendetta planned against this pathetic spit of land you call a village, and he too, had a mission of revenge to complete!"

"You lie, Orochimaru. Your kind will never succeed, and Konaha will-" He was cut off as Orochimaru's sword entered his throat abruptly.

"Shut up and die, Sarutobi Sensei! Konaha will fall, and your failure to lead will be remembered by all!" Sarutobi slumped downward, and the other Hokage's released their Jutsu. The staff vanished in a puff of smoke, and the forest disappeared as well. "Now, my pawns, go, to the downfall of Konaha! Kill any you find who wear a Leaf Village Headband!" the other three Hokages walked over to the barrier as it dissippated. The three Anbu black ops leapt up at them, and each was swatted effortlessly aside by one of the Hokages. They leapt off the building, and went to destroy Konaha.

The three Hokage's leapt in separate directions, out of the stadium. The arena was empty by now, even Gaara's corpse had been removed by Konkuro and Temari. The first Hokage went west, and not long after he had exited the stadium, he was intercepted by two familiar faces. He looked from one, then slowly to the other. Two ninja in sound attire landed behind him, smiling at Asuma and Kurenai.

"You can't beat a Hokage, little Leaf Shinobi! You probably couldn't even beat us!" Tayuya shouted, and Jorobo just grinned.

"That's where you are wrong, you see, your first mistake was not knowing enough about your enemy. The third Hokage-" Asuma stopped as he disappeared, then reappeared behind Jorobo, holding both of his daggers to the sound ninja's throat. "Is my father!" Jorobo kicked backwards, and Asuma leapt ahead, quickly reversing his direction and going for the first Hokage.

"Demonic Illusion! Tree Bind Death!" Kurenai shouted, and a tree sprung up around Tayuya. Kurenai's head appeared on the side of the tree, slightly higher then Tayuya. She struggled, and Kurenai slowly lowered her knife to Tayuya's throat. Jorobo lunged over, punching and shattering the tree Tayuya was held in. He then activated the first level of his curse mark, and grabbed Kurenai by the throat. She hung in midair, gasping for breath. Jorobo only laughed.

Asuma ran straight for the first Hokage, both blades drawn, cigarette still in his mouth. He leapt into the air, kicking once with his right leg, which the hokage blocked with his left arm. Asuma then rolled over in midair, dropping his heel at the hokage's head. He caught Asuma's foot, grabbed his other, and dragged him violently into the ground. Asuma reared up on his hands, dodging a powerful punch from the first hokage, then leapt to his feet. He saw Jorobo holding Kurenai, and gasped.

"Kurenai! Hold on!" He suffered a blow to the head from the first Hokage for his distraction, and he righted himself, ready to continue.

"Hahaha, little Kunoichi. Is your little tree illusion all you can do?" Jorobo laughed as he squeezed her throat tighter. She kicked, struggled, and squirmed, but to no avail, and she felt her breath slipping away. Tayuya took out her flute, released the first level of her curse mark, and began to play. The three demons she could summon came to her side, then leapt away as she played, going for Asuma. He narrowly ducked as the largest of the demons swung its giant club, and the first hokage retracted to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Asuma kicked one demon in the chest, sending in backwards, then cut another's throat several times. It fell over, bloodied, but then stood back up, seemingly unaffected.

"A...Asuma.." Kurenai gasped weakly as the life was strangled from her.

"Kurenai! I'm coming!" Asuma shouted, stabbing at the Hokage with both weapons. He caught Asuma's wrists, and tossed him aside.

"Rankouge Ichijin Hitoare no Jutsu!" Asuma shouted, holding both hands straight out, and a violent gust of wind erupted from around him, throwing all four of his nearby enemies off their feet. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" Asuma yelled, summoning six clones to his side. Each of them leapt onto one of his enemies, including Jorobo, who dropped Kurenai as a result. She wasn't moving, and if she was breathing, it wasn't deeply. He rushed to Kurenai's side, and checked her pulse.

"Asuma..." she said softly.

"Kurenai, I'm here!" Asuma replied. "Are you alright?"

"As...Asuma, I won't be here much longer...Save yourself, get out of here..." Kurenai muttered.

"No, I won't leave you!" Asuma shouted. Kurenai stopped talking and breathing and collapsed in his arms. "Kurenai!" Asuma shouted, at first mournfully, and then angrily. His eyes grew cold, and he glared at his enemies. "I learned this...from my father, the third Hokage!" Asuma rushed through dozens of hand seals, then dashed over to the first Hokage, breaking his own clone. He held him down, and continued. "Shiki Fujin no jutsu." He muttered, and a spectral visage could be seen behind him. It held out several grisly hands, one each pointing at Tayuya, Jorobo, each of the demons, and The first Hokage. "You are going back in the ground, and the rest of you, you are going to die." An incorporeal hand sprang out from Asuma's chest, penetrating the first Hokage's chest. The same happened with each of his clones. Their souls were slowly being sucked out, and there was nothing they could do about it. They grew pale, screaming, except for the first Hokage, who had no life to feel pain with. He glared at Asuma, and just before it ended, he mouthed the words 'Thank You'. The contract complete, the reaper disappeared, with the souls of his victims in his clutches. Asuma fell over, and crawled over painfully to Kurenai. He rested his head on her stomach, and took her hand in his. "Kur...Kurenai, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

The Fourth Hokage leapt east, and the first ninja he encountered was one blonde, spiky haired knucklehead ninja in an orange jumpsuit. Following Orochimaru's commands, he attacked any ninja he encountered with a headband, and Naruto had one. He landed silently behind Naruto, and delivered a painful blow with the back of his fist into Naruto's head. Naruto sprawled forward, going head over heels multiple times. He reversed the direction he was facing, got a grip on the ground with all fours, and skidded to a stop. He brushed himself off, and looked at his assailant. He was tall, with spiky blonde hair, empty eyes, and a slightly pale complexion.

_Oh, no! _Kyuubi thought as he too saw the person in front of them. The scene altered drastically, now in the dungeon that held Kyuubi inside Naruto's mind.

"What is it?" Naruto asked the demon fox through the cage.

"That man..."

"What, who is he?" Naruto began to think, going back to the very rare class in which he hadn't fallen asleep or just ignored. His mind flashed to the monument of the Four Hokages, and a stunning revalation hit him. "We are in trouble, aren't we?"

"That is the fourth Hokage, the man who sealed me in this prison!"

"He sure looks a lot like me, I mean we have the same hair, a similar face..." Naruto commented.

"You really don't know, do you boy?" Kyuubi asked.

"Know what?"

"That man, the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, is your father..." Kyuubi sighed. "But he has been dead, since he sealed me inside you. Orochimaru must have used a forbidden technique, to summon him. That likely means that the other Hokages are out and about as well." At that moment in time, Naruto was hardly paying attention. He heard "Father", "dead", "Orochimaru", "forbidden technique" and "summoned". That was all the motivation he needed, and then and there, he snapped.

"Give it to me."  
"What are you talking about?"

"Your power, give it to me. All of it."

"I hardly think you can-"

"I WASN'T ASKING!" Naruto shouted, reaching through the bars and grabbing what appeared to be Kyuubi in human form. He appeared like Naruto, except with red hair, glowing eyes, teeth and fangs, as well as nine glowing, red tails. He held the fox by the throat, and Kyuubi grinned.

"If you want the power, take it, boy!" Naruto didn't need to be told twice. He reared back with his other hand, then punched straight at the lock on the prison. As he struck, it all burst away, and a cacophonous wind rushed from the prison outward. "Oooh, you aren't playing around." Kyuubi said as his tails, and both of their hair flapped wildly. Naruto lifted him off the ground, and threw him into a wall. He followed him directly after, pinning him to the crater in the wall by his throat once more. The red chakra faded, ever so slowly from the Kyuubi-Naruto, into Naruto. Kyuubi grew less and less feral looking, and that appearance shifted to Naruto. Naruto punched the visage that was now more like himself than he was, and continued to pummel the image. The prison disappeared, and he was standing on a field in the center of Konaha. Red chakra sheathed his body, he was bent over significantly, he had glowing red hair and eyes, the tails flowed violently behind him, and he could make little more sound than a growl.

He leapt off the ground, lightning fast, making an eruption of dirt around his feet. He punched his father once in the head, before he had reacted. He stumbled backward, and Naruto landed on all fours. Naruto leapt up again, kicking him in the stomach, and then elbowing him in the back of the head, sending his father sprawling. He landed, turned around, growled, and continued. His father brought a rasengan effortlessly to his hand, and rushed to meet his son. They collided headlong, and with a violent outburst of wind, they were separated. Naruto was back on his feet first, rushing over to destroy that which was, but could not truly be, his father. He dropped from the sky onto his father's body who was lying on the ground, pounding him brutally in the stomach, creating a crater and an outburst of red chakra in all directions. He leapt into the sky, and seemed to have control over himself now.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" he growled, and thousands of clones dropped from the sky, all with the same appearance, save the nine glowing tails. They leapt in, each pounding Minato in their own unique way. Naruto had leapt skyward, and dropped like a rock. Minato stood up as the clones receded, and Naruto dropped two heels on him, one to each shoulder. He continued, punching Minato violently in the face while holding his position, clinging to Minato through chakra in his feet. Minato reeled back from the assault, and Naruto fell back off of him a little. He lashed out with one swift kick to the jaw, sending Minato flying once more, tumbling across the earth.

_Naruto, I have more more gift to give..._ Kyuubi said, and Naruto involuntarily held his arm out, with his palm flat and facing upward. The rasengan spun in his hand for the first time, and the nearly uncontrollable chakra caused a massive gust to swirl around it, causing anything not nailed down, including the clones, to be tossed aside. _Your father's jutsu, enjoy..._ Naruto ran forward, leapt skyward once more, rearing back with the rasengan.

"RASENGAN!" he cried, driving the sphere into the walking corpse's chest. Naruto caught his breath and looked down.

"Naruto..." Minato began.

"What?!" Naruto said angrily.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I put that animal inside you, I'm sorry your mother and I weren't there for you growing up. I only did what i thought was best for the village. Thank you, for putting my soul to rest, and undoing what that snake Orochimaru did to me. Please, do not hate me for what I have done." Naruto fell to his knees, then fell onto his father's broken body. He began to cry and wrapped his arms tightly around him. His father reached out with one arm to hug him back.

"With this body...destroyed, Orochimaru's spell is broken. I will be departing soon..." He said, and with Naruto still crying and clutching to his chest, his body fell to dust


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke had found Naruto when they initially left the arena, but had lost him in the maze of fearful villagers

Sasuke had found Naruto when they initially left the arena, but had lost him in the maze of fearful villagers. He hadn't seen any of the senseis and he wasn't sure what he should do. For the most part, it seemed the invasion was being dealt with. He couldn't see the three giant snakes anymore, and whatever had happened on top of the Hokage's viewing platform was over. He had seen three figures jump off and go in separate directions, and he didn't know whom any of them were. He was just walking through the village now, looking to see if anyone needed help. He was a little beat up from his fight with Gaara, but didn't feel much worse for the experience. He stopped, and without turning around, began to talk.

"I know you're there. Don't waste my time by hiding." He said loudly and clearly, and as if on cue, a dozen sand ninja leapt from his surroundings, landing in a circle around him.

"Well, you catch on pretty quick for a genin. Lord Orochimaru has ordered us to take you in." one of the sand ninja said.

"I don't think any of you have what it takes to kill me. From what I can tell, you are all a bunch of weaklings." Sasuke said cockily.

"Our job isn't to kill you. Orochimaru wants you alive, Uchiha."

"Well, too bad for you, I don't really feel like going anywhere." Sasuke replied, activating his sharingan.

"Well, you leave us no choice." The ninja said with a grin, and they all leapt forward in unison. Sasuke waited to the last second before leaping straight up.

"Fire Style! Hidama No Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, forming the hand signs and breathing the flame downward. He landed on a roof and waited for the smoke to clear. He spun around, just in time to block a kick from behind. The sand ninjas were all in the air, and they were coming in fast.

"Water Style! Mizu Doragon No Jutsu!" a familiar voice was heard to Sasuke's left, and a dragon formed of water rushed to Sasuke's aid, enveloping the encroaching Sand Ninja. Kakashi landed next to him with a smile. "Hey Sasuke. Sorry I'm late."

"You're just in time." Sasuke replied with a grin.

"Watch out, they're coming back." Kakashi pointed out, and he was right. The dozen shinobi leapt back from the torrent of water, drawing kunai knives and shuriken.

"It shouldn't be a problem. They don't seem all that powerful." Sasuke commented. "Fire Style! Pheonix Fire Flower Jutsu!" he shouted, and held a hand to his mouth. He shot the miniature fireballs in a wide arc, spraying the sand ninja, several of whom brought up small shields of sand to defend. None seemed overly effected after stopping the fire from burning their clothing. Kakashi leapt forward lightning fast, a kunai in his hand, slashing one across the chest. He disappeared without landing on the ground, reappeared behind another, and stabbed his stomach. He repeated the process until just two were left, and they seemed to be slightly more adept than the others. They grinned, and leapt forward. One managed to grab a hold of Sasuke with both hands, and Kakashi rushed to his side, and was intercepted by the other ninja. Both were grinning at first, but then their eyes were full of shock. A hand was protruding through each of their throats, grabbing onto Kakashi and Sasuke. Both hands came from one man, in the black and red Akatsuki uniform.

"Mangekyo Sharingan." He said quietly, and Tsukuyomi formed around them, the land of hell that was created purely by the whim of the sharingan's user. A single image of the man stood in front of the two. Sasuke was lying on the ground, propped up by his elbows, not restrained but unable to move. Kakashi stood some ten feet to the side. The man drew a single katana, and moved towards Sasuke. Kakashi involuntarily intercepted the blade with his chest, groaning, and falling dead at Sasuke's feet.

"Just kill me! Stop…Don't do this anymore! I just want to die!" Sasuke cried. Whether he liked it or not, he had developed a father-son relationship with Kakashi, and it pained him greatly to see his mentor in such pain, dying over and over.

"If that is really what you want…" Madara responded. He rushed in once more, and Kakashi intercepted. He held him on the blade, driving it all the way through up to the pommel. He grabbed Kakashi by the throat, and tossed him aside. He reared back to stab Sasuke, but a fourth person had appeared behind him, and a sturdy hand held the blade from stabbing Sasuke.

"If you kill Sasuke, I'll kill you, Madara." Itachi Uchiha said calmly. He had somehow forced himself into Madara's tsukoyomi, and everyone was surprised. The total of six sharingan eyes among the group were all blazing, and Madara lowered the blade.

"Fine then, Itachi, if that is truly how you want it. I won't kill him."

"That will be reserved for me, when he is stronger. He doesn't have enough hate yet." Itachi said softly. "This jutsu is over." Itachi continued, and tsukoyomi faded. Kakashi fell to the ground, and Sasuke's eyes were full of shock. He looked from Kakashi to Madara, to Itachi. He hated Madara, now, a man he didn't know was still alive, and he hated Itachi even more, for preventing him from having the death he had so wanted. He glared hatefully at both, and dropped his right arm, grasping it with his left hand.

"Brother, you are wrong! You die here, and now!" he cried as he rushed over, summoning the ball of lightning. "CHIDORI!" he hollered, rushing at the two Uchiha's standing next to each other, opposite of him on the roof. Kakashi still wasn't moving. Itachi stepped in, practically teleporting, and grabbed Sasuke's right hand. He bent his wrist painfully, and Sasuke dropped to his knees.

"Do what you came to do, Madara, and then leave. My brother stays out of it." His eyes were full of contempt for the eldest Uchiha, and he held Sasuke, crying in pain, firmly on the ground. Madara nodded, and Kabuto landed next to him. He kneeled down next to the motionless Kakashi, and his fingertips began to glow blue as he held them over Kakashi's exposed left eye. Blue streams of chakra emitted from his fingers, grasping hungrily at Kakashi's eye.

"NO!" Sasuke cried, breaking his brother's grip on him. Itachi made no move to stop him, and he rushed at Kabuto. "I don't care if three times is beyond my limit! I'LL DIE BEFORE I LET YOU TAKE THAT!" Sasuke screamed, summoning another chidori with vivid pain and effort. Blood streamed down his right arm as the chakra was forcibly drawn to power the lightning. His eyes blazed with hatred as he charged Kabuto down.

"If I have to evade, the process might be ruined, and his eye useless." Kabuto commented, and Madara intercepted. He punched Sasuke in the stomach, and blood came from his mouth, his eyes wide, and mouth gaping open, gasping for air. Madara drew one arm back, backhanding Sasuke's face, sending him sprawling back towards Itachi.

"Control your brother, if you want him to live, Itachi."

"I don't take orders from you, not anymore. I'm not here to help or hinder with your invasion, I'm here to ensure his survival. It isn't his time to die yet."

"You can't protect him forever, Itachi. Someday, when you aren't there-" he was cut off as Itachi had grabbed his throat, lifted him off the ground and placed a knife at his stomach.

"You won't lay a finger on him. If you kill him, I WILL kill you." Madara broke Itachi's grasp and walked over to Kabuto.

"It is done, as you had asked." Kabuto responded, holding the sharingan eye in his hand. Kakashi's lay on the ground, not moving or breathing. Madara and Kabuto leapt away, as did Itachi, but in a different direction. Sasuke rolled over and coughed blood, then crawled over to Kakashi. He looked at his sensei, and hate boiled in his eyes. He moved Kakashi's mask, to cover his empty socket, and fell limp beside him.


	3. Chapter 3

It was difficult, but they had stayed together amidst the falling Konaha

It was difficult, but they had stayed together amidst the falling Konaha. Ino, Shikimaru, and Choji had all stuck together through the continuing tragedy, and were making their way out of the village. They figured it would be safest there, and there wasn't anything they could do. They were running through one of the many streets, when several sound shinobi appeared above and behind them, running along the rooftops.

"Guys, we have company." Shikimaru said with a hint of remorse.

"Just keep running!" Ino shouted, as she glanced over her shoulder. One of them threw a kunai in her direction, and it landed in front of her. She tripped over it, sprawling onto the ground.

"Ino!" Choji shouted, turning and grabbing her hand to pull her to her feet. Shikimaru did the same, and they continued running.

"Guys, we can't keep this up for long. They're gaining on us." Shikimaru said.

"What are we going to do, Shikimaru?" Choji asked.

"You guys are going to keep running. I'll hold them. Just get out, safe, OK?" Shikimaru stopped running, and turned around.

"Shikimaru, you can't!" Ino cried out, stopping to turn and protect her friend.

"It's the only way you two will ever get out of here alive! I'm the leader of this squad, now just do what I say!"

"Shikimaru, there is no need. You continue running, and I'll do what I have to to save you and your friends." Shikimaru's father was standing next to him, hands in his pockets, a grimace on his face.

"But, Dad-"

"But Dad nothing. Run, I'll deal with these clowns." The sound shinobi leapt to the ground, and continued running towards the group. "Shadow Possession Jutsu! Shadow Strangle!" He cried, forming the hand signs. They all froze in place, and a spectral hand crawled up their bodies, going for their throats. Shikimaru turned to run, as did Ino and Choji. The sound ninja wouldn't have been a problem for someone of his stature, but he was not a sanin. The sound ninja dropped, and Orochimaru crept from the ground, grinning madly.

"Orochimaru…" he said slowly. "Fancy seeing you here." Orochimaru grinned.

"Oh, you remember me. I'm touched, it's been so long." Orochimaru continued to smile. "I see you haven't lost your touch, those sound ninja would have been troublesome for most jonin."

"Well, I've been practicing for something in particular."

"Hmm? And what would that be?"

"So whenever I met you, I could kill you! Shadow Possesion Jutsu!" he shouted, and the jet-black beam shot out of the ground. It froze, inches from Orochimaru's shadow.

"Tisk tisk, I did beat the third Hokage. Don't you think I could kill you, too?" Orochimaru spat out his sword from his throat, and sank into the ground. Shikimaru's father leapt onto a building then ran in the direction of his child.

"Dad! You're alright!"

"There's no time, run! Faster! Orochimaru is here, he's behind the invasion, and he's killed the third Hokage!" The three genin looked at him in shock, and then kept running.

"Summoning Jutsu!" they heard Orochimaru cry, and Manda sprang from the earth.

"Orochimaru! How dare you summon me! I will require many human sacrifices, unless you are willing to offer yourself!" Manda hissed.

"There will be an entire village for you to consume, Manda, if you will only aid me in the destruction I have already set in motion. Now go, destroy Konaha!" Manda slithered off, sliding through buildings and over them. Orochimaru continued his pursuit of the fleeing Leaf Shinobi.

"Dad, he's back. We can't run forever, what are we going to do?" Shikimaru asked. He looked to his father, who had stopped running, with his head hung low. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"Shikimaru…Son…I always looked forward to see you growing up, becoming a man, and a great shinobi in your own right. It looks like I won't be able to do that, like I planned."

"Dad, you can't!"

"Son, just run. Promise me, no matter what happens, you will keep running. Just get out of Konaha, and meet up with any survivors. Can you promise me that?" Shikaku had placed a hand on each of Shikimaru's shoulders, looking right into his eyes. Shikimaru could only manage a nod. "Good, now go. I don't know how long I can hold him, but I promise it will be long enough for you to escape Konaha. You must live, Shikimaru!" He turned, and leapt into the other direction. Shikimaru turned his head to the ground, not willing to let his friends see him tear up.

"Shikimaru?" Chouji asked.

"Let's go. I won't break my promise." Shikimaru took off running.

"Orochimaru!" Shikaku shouted. Orochimaru stopped running on the rooftops and turned to look.

"So, decided to stop running, did we?" Orochimaru grinned

"I'm not running away, not from you. I'm holding you here."

"You are planning on holding me here? Your jutsu are based on shadow! It's broad daylight, you fool!"

"So we just need a little change of scenery." Shikaku began tearing through hand signs, and black mist began to form around him. "Shadow Release! **Hateshiganai Makurayami! Kaikishoku no Jutsu!" (English: Shadow Release! Eternal Darkness! Total Eclipse Technique!)**

**"Hmm, isn't that interesting?" Orochimaru grinned, as a new "moon" passed in front of the sun, blocking out all light.**

**"Shikimaru, what's going on?" Ino asked as they continued to run.**

**"Dad's fighting full force…" Shikimaru commented. "He's never used this technique in a fight before!"**

**"Shadow Release! Kokuei Akunochimata no Jutsu****!" ****(English: Shadow Release! Shadow Underworld Technique!) He cried, finishing his two-tiered jutsu. Everything around him was dark, but he had no problem seeing anything. Spectral creatures began to pull themselves out of the ground all around Orochimaru. They seemed to have no skeletal structure, but were vaguely humanoid. Orochimaru slashed at the nearest one, his sword passing through one of the creatures completely. A void appeared where his slash had been, and the creature slowly began to pull its halves back together.**

**"Oh come now, Genjutsu? Did you really think that would work on me?"**

**"Who said it was Genjutsu?" He replied. The very creature he had slashed placed a flimsy hand on his shoulder, and Orochimaru screamed in pain. The creature gained substance as it drew something from Orochimaru. He slid into the ground, away from the being, and reappeared elsewhere. Many of the creatures began to amble towards him, hungry for his very life.**

**"What is this? What kind of technique is this?"**

**"The Nara family secret. Even if you do kill me, Orochimaru, your invasion will be over. You won't have the strength to kill anyone else today!" The beasts continued to move closer to Orochimaru, who defended himself desperately. He slashed through the monsters, breaking them apart, only to see them reform. They pressed their attack, and then one got a hold of Orochimaru's left arm. He began to scream as the life was drawn from his arm, and another latched onto his right arm, which was already partially drained. His arms shriveled, becoming old and gray, hanging limp at his sides. His sword dropped to the earth, and the beasts gained substance around him.**

**"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto shouted, landing behind Shikaku, instantly piercing his heart with five precise chakra blades on his fingers. Shikaku's eyes went wide, and he fell to his knees. His jutsu faded as his own life did, and the sun came out. Kabuto leapt to his lord's side. He helped him to his feet, Orochimaru's eyes full of shock, and hatred. **

**"Orochimaru!" Kiba shouted, standing on a rooftop some distance from them. They looked up at the genin, and ignored him. "Don't you ignore me, you monster. Do you know… do you know what your beast did?"**

**"Lord Orochimaru really doesn't care, he has much bigger issues to deal with than your own problems." **

**"HE KILLED AKAMARU!" He shouted, holding up a broken collar. "He ate Akamaru…AKAMARU!" he shouted again, leaping off the roof, descending on the pair. "Beast Mimicry Jutsu!" he hollered, his body and expression growing feral. Kabuto hurled a single kunai at him, which he slapped aside. He growled as he landed, then leapt at Orochimaru, who was barely standing. Kabuto moved to defend, slashing out once. Kiba accepted the blow, and continued past him, landing on Orochimaru. They fell to the ground and Kiba reared back to slash him. He stopped, and then fell limp on top of Orochimaru. His back was bloody, Kabuto's kunai having just penetrated his skin. Kabuto pushed the dead genin off his master, and helped him to his feet once again.**

**"Kabuto…we have won the invasion, but I cannot fight any further. We are leaving."**

**The three genin continued to run through the shattered villaging, not stopping for the numerous dead strewn around the streets. Ino suddenly fell, he legs pierced by two massive, tan arrows. Chouji stopped to help her, and Shikimaru kept running.**

**"Shikimaru! We have to help Ino!" Chouji shouted.**

**"I'm sorry, Ino…I…I can't! I promised!" Shikimaru continued running quickly going out of sight. **

**"Chouji, just run! Get out of here, he'll kill you too!" Ino cried.**

**"You're not dead, Ino! You can't be dead!" Chouji said, kneeling next to his friend who was bleeding out of her legs profusely.**

**"You have to Chouji, look, he's aiming for you now!" She looked up to where one of the Sound Ninja Four, having activated his full curse mark, was drawing back his massive bow, aiming directly at the son of the Akimichi clan.**

**"I won't leave you!" Chouji shouted.**

**"I'm sorry, Chouji, I can't let you stay!" she said, forming a few handsigns, then Chouji's eyes went wide.**

**"No, you can't! I won't leave you! Ino, that's not fair!" Chouji cried as he lost control of his own body. "Human Boulder!" he shouted involuntarily. He grew in size, tucked his limbs in, and then took off spinning. ****_Get out of my head, Ino! I have to save you!_**

**_You can't save me, Chouji. It's too late, now I'm saving you. _**

**_Get out of my head!_**

**_I can't do that, Chouji._**

**_GET OUT! I have to save you!_**

**_Chouji, I…I cant…_**

**_Yes you can! Get out!_**

**_No, Chouji I really can't…My body…It's…It's dead. I'm stuck in your head, Chouji…_**

**"You aren't killing my son, sound ninja scum!" Choso shouted, swatting the four-armed ninja aside. He was easily fifty feet tall, and swatted the ninja down to earth. He continued in his assault, stepping on the ninja, killing him.**

"Mmmm, you do look delicious!" Manda hissed, seeing the massive Akimichi.

"Die, Monster!" He drew a giant staff off of his back, swiping at Manda. The massive snake ducked, and then lunged in. He grabbed both of the beast's jaws, holding them open.

"I don't need to bite my prey!" Manda shouted, spitting green venom at Choso. It hit his chest, and began to eat away his armor. He tossed the snake aside, crashing into several buildings. He withdrew a small case, relatively speaking of course, as it would appear as large crates with a large, red boulder inside. The first two were missing, and the acid began to reach his skin. He tossed the pill into the air, swallowing it.

"Akimichi Final Threat! Red Hot Chili Pepper!" he shouted, and his muscles bulged. Unaffected by the poison, he ran to the massive snake, shaking the earth. The snake snapped at him, and he withdrew his fist. They stared at each other, glaring hatred.

"I will enjoy having you for dinner, little Shinobi!" he reared back and lunged straight for Choso's chest. Choso shot his arm out, down the massive snakes throat.

"You aren't eating anyone." He flexed his muscles, stretching the snake's jaws and body. The snake shot venom from his fangs, splashing it all over Choso's arms. He managed to stretch his fangs further, and bit deeply into the giant shinobi's arm.

"I may die here" Choso coughed. "But I saved Konaha from a great threat, and my son lives on." He then used his free hand to remove the snake from his arm, and with his last strength, grasped each jaw, pulling them far apart. A sizable snap was heard, as Manda's jaw broke, and the snake fell to the ground, writhing in agony. Choso stumbled backwards, then fell over, leaning against the wall of Konaha. He breathed deeply, his eyes slowly closing. "My son…"


	4. Chapter 4

Jiraiya ran quickly through the village, knowing it was too late to save Konaha

Jiraiya ran quickly through the village, knowing it was too late to save Konaha. Orochimaru had killed the third hokage, not to mention that Manda, as well as the first, second, and fourth Hokages were out and about. He figured he could do more good by taking documents from the town, for preservation purposes. He had already taken all the useful information from the Hokage's chambers, especially information about the other Hokages. After that, he ran to the archives in the compounds representing each notable clan, the Hyugas, the Abarames, and a few others. He was just barely staying ahead of the second hokage, who had been causing a lot of damage by flooding the compounds. He had warned any he could, but doubted many would make it out alive. After he had grabbed the final documents, he realized he had no copies of his own books, which he had to have. He rushed home, grabbed the books, and headed for the gates.

"Lee, we've got to get out of here! Konaha is under attack!" Tenten shouted, pulling him out of his hospital bed.

"What? That is terrible! We must help fight!" Lee responded.

"We can't, there isn't anything we can do, Lee. Not in your condition." Neji commented. He left the room after Tenten and Lee, just then noticing Hinata standing there. "Hinata, come with us. We are going to escape this destruction. Most of us are badly injured, there is nothing more we can do but flee." Hinata nodded, and they ran out of the hospital. They exited out the front door, and were met with a peculiar face. He had grey hair and empty eyes. He was dressed in full battle regalia, and was staring intently at them, especially Tenten, because she was the first he had seen with a headband.

"It isn't possible, that's…That's the second Hokage!" Neji shouted as he moved to stand in front of his friends. Before he could react, the second Hokage had dashed forward, and Tenten fell to the ground. Lee could barely stand on his own, precariously balanced on his crutches. The second Hokage rolled Tenten over, and she had a massive slash across her chest from a sword he was suddenly wielding. Her eyes held little life, and she did not move or breath.

"Tenten!" Neji and Lee said in unison.

"Hinata, take Lee! Get out of here!"

"But Neji-"

"Go!" Neji dropped to Tenten's side, a hand on her face. "Tenten…It's alright, I'm here." Neji said, and the second Hokage stared with empty eyes.

"Neji…I…I have something to tell you…" Tenten said with much effort.

"Save your strength, I'll get you help!"

"No, Neji. I'm dying; there is nothing anyone can do. I just wanted to…to tell you something I've wanted to tell you for a long time now." She said, her voice getting quieter.

"What is it, Tenten? What do you want to tell me?" Neji lifted her head slightly, so her face was closer to his, so he could hear her words.

"Neji…I…I'm in love-" and she stopped, not being able to finished her sentence. She was dead, and Neji's byakugan told him that. He didn't need her to finish the sentence, what she had said was enough. In his mind, he flashed back to all the times she had showered praise onto him, never hesitating to help him to train.

"Tenten, I'm sorry. He kissed her forehead, and closed her eyes for her. He stood up, glaring at the second Hokage. "This invasion has cost everyone much, and now, I have lost something precious, something I didn't know I had. Today, I have learned many things. I know you are not alive, and perhaps you cannot be killed because of that, but that doesn't mean I won't try." Neji dropped into a stance, closing his eyes. "Eight Trigrams! Gentle Fist Art! Sixty Four Palms!" he shouted, dashing at the second Hokage. He struck him, each time, without hesitation. The lifeless shell before him didn't respond to the assault, and when Neji stopped, out of breath, he hadn't injured the Hokage at all. The hokage held both hands together, reaching out to strike Neji. He connected with the child's stomach, and water sprouted instantly, throwing Neji back. Neji lay on his back, then propped himself on his elbows. The Hokage leapt up into the air, then dropped, aiming a heel at Neji's head.

"Neji, go. Go now." Lord Hiyashi Hyuga said as he collided with the Second Hokage, sending him of course.

"Lord Hiyashi…" Neji said, climbing to his feet.

"Make sure you and Hinata get out of here alive. At any cost, you two must escape with your lives." He bowed into a stance, waiting for the second to attack him. Neji ran.

"It has been a long time, and I was a small child, when you were the ruler of this land. Your return is unnatural, and I cannot allow it to continue."

"Water Style. Mizu Doragon no Jutsu!" he shouted, and a massive torrent of water, shaped like a dragon shot towards Hiyashi. (English: Water Style. Water Dragon Technique."

"Rotation!" he forced chakra out of every part of his body, and spun, deflecting the water dragon. He dashed forward, actually drawing a kunai, aware that his signature was useless. He clashed with the second, again and again, his speed making up for his lack of his jutsu.

Neji quickly caught up to Lee and Hinata, being that Lee could barely walk on his own. They moved as quickly as possible, Lee doing almost no running of his own.

"Neji, what happened?" Hinata asked.

"Lord Hiyashi stepped in, he is holding that monstrosity off. He said we must escape at all costs." Hinata nodded, and they continued.

Lord Hiyashi lay in a puddle of bloody water, his robes soaked with a mixture of both. The second hokage's animated corpse stood over him, emotionless, then turned and ran after his targets. As he ran through the village, he ran past a large complex, and decided to make a stop. He turned to it, and saw many insects flying around the compound.

"Shino, we must leave. Jiraiya has taken the most important documents, and everyone is fleeing." Shino's father stood next to him, and they began to leave as the hokage stood at the gate.

"That isn't possible." Shino said, vividly remembering the face from the Hokage's monument and his classes.

"Through dark and forbidden jutsu it is. Shino, leave." His father, adjusted his glasses, and stared at the second hokage. Shino leapt at his father's command, wide and to the side of the second.

"Water Style. Issui **Kakuhan No Jutsu!" the second said, waving a hand at Shino after he finished the hand signs (Water Style. Water Whip Jutsu!). A jet of water shot out, following his hand motions. It struck Shino in the back, causing him to fall, and then once again as he connected with the ground. The second continued to strike Shino with it as his father leapt towards his enemy. He ducked under a strike, and lashed Shino into the air. He punched Shino's father once, sending him backwards, and then struck Shino once more. His glasses fell off, and he lay motionless. **

**"ABURAME SECRET JUTSU! BAKUHATSUTEKI****MUSHI MURE NO JUTSU!" He shouted, forming several hand signs, then holding both arms straight out. Massive black swarms of hellish insects flew from his jacket, flying wide and then converging on the second. They rushed in, and massive explosions resulted as they approached. Smoke filled the compound, and he rushed to find his son. He checked the boys pulse, and a look of dismay crossed his face. He turned as the smoke cleared, and the second hokage was encased in a shield of water.**

**"Well done. You were always very bright, top of your class, if I recall. A prodigy of your clan. You do a dying breed honor." The second hokage said coldly. "Water Style! Tsunami No Jutsu!" he cried, and water appeared out of nowhere, flowing around the second hokage, crashing into Shino's father and the compound like water on rocks. The compound flooded, and Shino's father did not return. The second hokage leapt away, returning to the pursuit of the two Hyugas.**

"Hinata…" Neji said softly.

"I know, I can see him too." Hianta replied sadly.

"He has returned, hasn't he?" Lee asked. "Which means that Lord Hiyashi has been defeated." Lee finished quietly. Hinata and Neji nodded solemnly.

"Hinata, Lord Hiyashi entrusted me with the mission of ensuring our escape, which would make me the leader of this squad." Neji said. Hinata looked at him, slightly puzzled. Rock Lee knew exactly what he meant. "I will sacrifice myself for the good of the mission. It is imperative that you survive, and maintain the main branch of the Hyuga clan, Lady Hinata." Neji stopped running, allowing Hinata time to take Lee's weight. He turned around and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He drew a kunai, and rushed at the second hokage. He slashed out and the hokage lazily dodged, toying with Neji. Neji kicked out furiously, and the hokage slapped his foot away. He continued with his assault, leaping over the hokage's back, and striking at his back with both fists. He did strike him, the hokage stumbled forward, then turned around, not affected or amused. He went through the familiar hand signs, and a jet of water extended outward.

"Rotation!" Neji cried, spinning rapidly, deflecting the jutsu. He ran forward once more, slinging several shuriken angrily at the second, then following with a carefully coordinated slash, and then another kick. The hokage continued to dodge lazily.

"Hinata! I thought I was very clear! You are too leave, now!" Neji cried, just before the Hokage lashed out, backhanding Neji and sending him sprawling across the pavement. He turned on Hinata, charging her. He went to stab, and Neji met his blow with his own two hands, catching the downward chop. Neji forced the second's hands upward, and then struck his stomach with both fists. He stumbled backwards, this time slightly annoyed. Without speech, the second moved through the hand signs, summoning the water dragon jutsu. It spiraled forward at Neji, who stood his ground.

"Rotation!" he cried as it splashed against his barrier. His rotation broke slightly before the jutsu, and he was sent sprawling backward. He slid and landed just in front of Hinata, who still had yet to leave. "Hinata, you need to leave! There is nothing you can do!" He continued his daring assault on the second, punching, kicking and slashing furiously. The second tried to leap over Neji's head, which Neji met head on, slashing the strap that held his armor in place. The heavy chest piece struck the ground with a bang, and Neji glared angrily. He rushed in once more, and the hoakge sidestepped, kicking Neji's legs. He fell forward, and the hokage elbowed Neji's back and kneed his stomach simultaneously. He pulled his arm and leg back, then kicked Neji with a lightning fast snap. He stopped his assault on Hinata, now fully focused on the relentless child prodigy. Neji lay on the ground, injured, and the second hokage stepped on his ribs and chest several times. Neji cried out in pain, and the hoakge kicked him again, sending him sprawling across the village road. He continued, kicking Neji's head violently. As he stood over the helpless genin, he formed his handsigns once more, and the dragon was conjured. It collided with the motionless genin in a furious display, crushing him into the ground. The second, satisfied, now moved to Hinata and Lee. He walked slowly, and Lee, the ever chivalrous taijutsu master, hobbled in front of Hinata, offering a weak defense, and perhaps a second for her to run. The second ran in, like lightning, and went to punch the stalwart Lee.

"Dynamic Entry!" Gai could be heard shouting as he entered the battle, his kick to the second's head sending him flying into a wall. Gai's eyes blazed, and the ground and air around him crackled. He was breathing heavily, and glared angrily at the one who would dare attack his favorite pupil.

"Gai sensei!" Lee shouted with a smile.

"Lee." Gai responded without his usual exuberant air, clearly taxed.

"Gai sensei, you have opened the gates! How many are you using?"

"Just two for the time being, Lee, but I might have to use a few more to get you out of here safely." The second stood up, brushed himself off, and looked at Gai. "Eight Demon Gates! Third Gate! Open!" Gai shouted, and the ground around him dropped several inches. Veins began to stand out slightly, and he charged the hokage. He punched his chest, and the hokage flew backwards. Gai continued his assault, leaping foot first into the crater in the building the hokage now called home. He grabbed the hokage's shirt, and tossed him back out, then leapt sky high, dropping like a rock, foot leading once again, dropping the hokage into a huge crater. "Fourth Gate! Open!" he shouted as he stood over the second hokage, dropped to his knees, then began furiously pounding him, alternating lightning fast punches as he kneeled over the prone Hokage. Gai was lifted off the ground on the wrong end of a stream of water, and he righted himself in midair. The second hokage stood up, and Hinata was the closest target. He conjured his sword, and rushed at her, intending on penetrating her chest. Hinata cringed as she was covered in blood, but it was not her own. Neji stood, shaking, in front of her, holding onto the blade with both hands, the sword shoved cleanly through his chest, his blood covering himself, Hinata, and the second.

"Neji!" Hinata shouted in horror.

"Lady…Hinata." Neji replied, looking as if he would fall was the second's sword not holding him up. The second flew backwards as a result of a powerful backhand Gai delivered to his chest. He tumbled multiple times then climbed to his feet. Without hesitation, Gai rocketed towards the second.

"Lord Orochimaru, we have confirmed reports that there are several groups of leaf Shinobi making their way out of the village. One is of particular interest, because they are pursued by the second hokage, and seem to be holding their own." Kabuto said as he kneeled before Orochimaru and Madara.

"Very well then, we will quell this little rebellion." Orochimaru replied.

"One more thing, the second hokage appears to be the only one of the three still standing."

"What? How is that possible?"

"Well, it would seem that the son of the third hokage destroyed the first, but sacrificed himself to do so, and the fourth was destroyed by a blond haired child wearing an orange jumpsuit. That's all we know." Kabuto finished.

"Fine, we will prevent them from leaving. Madara, will you join me?" Orochimaru asked as he slid into the ground. Madara nodded and did the same.

The second hokage and Gai were in midair, face to face, heading for earth as they traded blows. Gai kneed the second in the stomach, and then grabbed both of his shoulders. He began a violent descent, spinning rapidly.

"Hidden Lotus!" Gai yelled as he jumped away from the collision, planting his feet on the side of a building. The second crashed into the earth, and a huge dust cloud filled the battlefield. Gai charged back in, intent on finishing the fight.

"Neji…" Hinata said as she kneeled next to the dying prodigy.

"Lady Hinata, I do not have much time. There is something I must tell you." Hinata nodded, tears in her eyes.

"My…My battle with Naruto, it taught me something. And then, if that weren't enough, Lord Hiyashi revealed to me the true events that lead to my father's death."

"Neji, what are you talking about?" Hinata asked.

"I no longer resent the main branch, Hinata. I understand the main branch's purpose, and I know understand the secondary branches purpose. My purpose. I will die here today, for you, as my father died for your father. Please, Hinata, before I die, please promise me something."

"Anything." She said, still crying somewhat.

"Promise me that you will harbor no hatred for anyone on my behalf. Promise me that no matter what, you will not go out, hell-bent on revenge for my death. I have died here of my own choice, I did not have to intercept that blade. I died to defend you, of my own choice. I have no regrets about my decision, Hinata. Promise me, Lady Hinata."

"I promise Neji, I promise." She leaned over, her head on his stomach. He moved one hand slowly to rest on her head.

"Promise me one more thing. Promise me, that you will tell Naruto, thank you. Tell him I understand what he could only have told me by defeating me. I hold no illusions that he will not survive this catastrophe. Also, tell him, tell him how you really feel Hinata. He will need your comfort in the time to come. Be there for him." Neji's eyes closed, and he coughed slightly.

"Oh, Neji…" Hinata looked at his eyes.

"Remember me for how I am, in this moment, and not how I was, devoted to fated and idealistic thoughts." Neji's head turned, and he lay motionless.

"Neji!" Hinata cried, and she gripped his body tighter.

"Hinata, I think we need to be going now." Lee said softly. "Neji, I am sorry we never had a chance to fight, as I would have liked. You truly are a genius, Neji, and you always will be." Lee used one arm to hold his crutch, and the other to lift Hinata off the ground. She supported his weight once more, and they continued to watch the battle.

Gai fell from the sky, with both hands clasped above his head. The second shook the cobwebs from his skull, having been knocked around so much. Gai's fists crushed into the second's skull, and the ground under him collapsed as he was thrown beneath the earth. A massive crater opened, and Gai sighed a sigh of relief. He breathed heavily, and turned to look at Lee.

"Gai Sensei!" Lee smiled wide.

"Lee…" Gai continued to breath heavily as he smiled.

"Well done. For a jonin to stand up to a hokage, and to win, no less, is truly commendable. One of your stature will not be taken lightly." Orochimaru smiled as he and Madara appeared from the earth.

"Orochimaru, I should have known you were behind this. Though, you never seemed the type to get your hands dirty, unless it was personal."

"Oh, I won't, don't worry. That's what they are here for." Some several hundred sound and sand ninja had appeared on the ground or buildings around Gai, and he shook his head. "Resigning to defeat, I presume?" Orochimaru smiled widely.

"No, not yet."

"You don't have any energy left. I can see it in your eyes, and your body. You don't have the strength to continue."

"Not right now, I don't. But I do have a nice trick that got me this far. Eight Demon Gates! Fifth Gate, Limit Gate! Open!" he shouted, and the earth around him trembled.

"No, that can't be." Orochimaru said quietly.

"Sixth Gate, View Gate! Open!" Gai continued, and the air around him crackled.

"Kill him! Kill him now!"

"Seventh Gate, Wonder Gate! Open!" Gai said, as the sand and sound ninja leapt to attack him.

"Gai sensei! You cannot! Do not open the final gate!" Lee cried out.

"Orochimaru! You may have destroyed this village, but those kids WILL escape here! There is nothing I wouldn't sacrifice to see that the flame of youth lives on in them! EIGHTH GATE, DEATH GATE! OPEN!" Gai shouted just as the first of the sand and sound ninja had almost reached him. A wave of energy shot from his body, and they were thrown back, some into buildings, and some over them. The air and earth around him shook, and it began to rain. The rain practically avoided Gai, an immovable barrier surrounding him. He took a few slow, heavy steps towards Orochimaru, each one causing a deep footprint in the hard road. He disappeared, and all that was left was a small puddle where his foot had been. Screaming could be heard all around them, and then Gai returned. It was silent, no moans of pain coming from the once living Shinobi that had surrounded them.

"Another time, perhaps. But then, you won't have any more days, will you?" Orochimaru said slyly as he slid into the ground. His neck had just touched the earth as Gai's hand closed around it, and he lifted him from the earth. Gai held him in midair, at arm's length. His eyes glared with hatred as Orochimaru's were full of fear, and he struggled to break free. "No! Don't kill me, please! I promise, I will leave and never return! Just don't kill me!"

"Orochimaru, you pathetic snake. No, you're not good enough to be called a snake. You're a worm, a pathetic, cowardly worm. Is this how you act, when someone stands up to you?" Gai squeezed harder, and Orochimaru had trouble breathing and speaking. Madara slid into a wall, and Gai made no motion to go after him. Orochimaru's hands clamored at Gai's arm to no avail. His grip was iron, and his resolve impenetrable. Gai spun on a dime, backhanding Kabuto as he snuck up behind him. Kabuto was sent sprawling hundreds of feet back through the puddles. Orochimaru took this opportunity to extend his neck and bite Gai's hand, and his reflexes released Orochimaru's throat. He slithered into the ground and disappeared. "DAMNIT!" Gai shouted, the water around him vibrating, as if he could not control the volume of his voice. "Lee, let's go. I'm going to search for anymore who can make it out alive." Lee nodded, tears in his eyes, knowing Gai would be dead soon. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, unintentionally breaking shingles each time his tremendous impact crashed into them.

Sasuke woke up with wind blowing through his hair and rain hitting his back. He looked around and realized Naruto was carrying him. But there was something off, Naruto was glowing red, and he had nine tails thrashing behind him. His normally black eyes were crimson red, and his normal, silly grin was erased, replaced by a look of solemn regret.

"Naruto…what happened? You look like you've been through hell and back." Naruto looked at him with an expression that could have only meant 'I have.' Sasuke didn't push it, as the chakra flowing off of Naruto practically demanded compliance. He landed on a roof, and let Sasuke off.

"We need to find Sakura, and get out of here as a team." Naruto said. Sasuke was hardly paying attention, pondering the motivation that had made his brother spare his life twice, perhaps even more. "Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Right, Sakura. Sorry." They leapt off the building together, scanning the ground below. Suddenly, Naruto dropped from the sky, and Sasuke followed. Naruto landed behind Sakura with a crash, and a crater formed around his feet. Sakura screamed, turned around, and drew a kunai.

"Sorry Sakura. I don't really know what's come over me." Sakura's eyes filled with concern, and Naruto was happy for the first time in the past several hours. She rushed past him and hugged Sasuke.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine..Just let go." Sasuke said, pushing Sakura away from him. Naruto's heart sunk when he realized she hadn't been concerned for him at all. Sasuke seemed a little irritated, and Naruto noticed. He was probably irritated about Sakura's incessant "fangirl" attitude toward him, despite the fact that he had hardly been injured, just drained utterly of chakra, and Naruto was shaking he had so much chakra coming from him. Sasuke could tell he was barely holding himself in check.

"N..Naruto? Is everything alright?" Sakura asked, but Naruto paid no mind as he leapt into the sky, summoned a dozen shadow clones, and punched an incoming sand ninja. His clones followed suit, and in a matter of seconds, a group of twenty or more sand ninja were incapacitated.

_How could I have fallen so far behind? _Sasuke asked himself.

_When did Naruto get so powerful?_ Sakura thought.

"Let's go, we don't have all day." Naruto commented, and he turned to leave. Sakura just now noticed the nine chakra-appendages flowing behind Naruto.

"Naruto, what are those?" she asked, pointing to his tails. Naruto, clearly puzzled, turned and looked behind him. His eyes were full of shock as he just now noticed them himself.

"I don't know! I don't even know how they got there!" he said.

"You didn't know they were there?" Sakura asked. "Idiot…"

"Wait, I think I remember now. I'll tell you guys everything when we make it out of here." Naruto said, the others nodded, and he leapt away.

As they approached the gate, Itachi stood there, waiting for them. Sasuke landed, and despite his usually hostile demeanor towards his brother, he said nothing, and his expression was not of hatred, but of confusion.

"Naruto Uzemaki, you are coming with me, or the girl dies." Itachi said as a clone appeared behind Sakura with a kunai at her throat.

"No!" both boys said, Naruto summoning a Rasengan instinctively, causing the chakra to whip up around him again. Sasuke held his arm down to summon the Chidori, and nothing came.

_Damnit! I'm completely drained!_ Sasuke said.

"Stay out of this, Sasuke. I'm not here for you, I'm here for the boy and his fox." Naruto ran towards Itachi, and Itachi noticed the amount of chakra flowing from the child. "It would seem you are far more than a container, now, aren't you?" Itachi said, releasing his clone and teleporting himself to the side. Naruto ran harmlessly past, and with Sakura out of danger, he stood there, glaring at Itachi. "It seems that I can't do much here by myself. Farewell, Naruto, Sasuke. We will be seeing each other again, I'm sure." He turned to leave, and Sasuke spoke up.

"Brother!"

"What, Sasuke?"

"Why have you saved or spared my life, so many times now? I don't understand. Are you protecting me?"

"Yes, I'm protecting you. But, to ensure that you don't begin to harbor any feelings for me other than hatred…" Itachi hurled a kunai at lightning speed, and Sakura cried out. She fell to the ground, and Sasuke kneeled at her side.

"She's dead…" he said mournfully.

"NO!" Naruto cried out, leaping at Itachi once more, who decided it was time to leave before things got out of hand. He disappeared as Naruto's Rasengan collided with the ground at his feet.

Itachi reappeared in the forest, some miles away, and his foot was bloody.

"That was far too close for comfort." He remarked.

The chakra around Naruto began to solidify, and his body convulsed. His anger boiling over, he began to lose control.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. Naruto's head snapped in his direction, bearing fangs in his mouth. "Calm down! There isn't anything we can do! She's dead…" he stood up, and looked at the ground. Naruto seemed to come to, and the chakra receded. He fell to his knees, totally defeated.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto and Sasuke walked mournfully out of the village together, both questioning their ability to protect those they cared fo

Naruto and Sasuke walked mournfully out of the village together, both questioning their ability to protect those they cared for. Sasuke's right arm hung limp at his side, the intense amount of chakra he had forced through it rendering it useless for an unknown amount of time. Naruto still had the red chakra surrounding him, all nine of Kyuubi's tails flowing behind him. They climbed a hill and looked back to the village. With their vantage point, they could see large swaths of land had been leveled, others burnt, others flooded. Konaha was no more, but they both had every intent of returning, returning to kill Orochimaru, and Madara. Their petty rivalry had completely faded, and they now looked at each other as brothers.

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Shikimaru said as he climbed the hill. Chouji shortly followed him. "You guys made it out alright!" he said, then his emotion drew back, remembering those that weren't so lucky, his parents and Ino in particular.

"Yeah, we did." Naruto said without looking at Shikimaru.

"Naruto, are you alright?" Shikimaru asked. "What happened?"

"It's a long story." Naruto said calmly. "One I'd rather not relive." Shikimaru nodded. Chouji was looking slightly up, and his face was arguementative, but he said nothing.

_What do you mean you can't get out?_ Chouji asked Ino, who was inside his mind.

_I'm stuck, Chouji. My mind possession technique, it has one weakness. My body becomes limp, and if it is killed, I become trapped in whatever mind I took over._ Ino explained. _We can try and find a way to get me removed. Though, with my family all gone, I don't know who would have the knowledge._

_No, if you get removed from my mind, you'll be completely gone! Either we find you a new body to take over, or you stay here. That's my decision, it's my head._ Chouji said finally.

_Alright, Chouji. We can try and find a new body for me. It just won't be the same. _Ino said with a weak smile, defeated.

"Chouji?" Shikimaru asked, his companion had been oblivious for a minute or two, and he had beent trying to talk to him.

"Yeah? Sorry, um, just thinking, is all."

"Yeah, I get it. You won't be the last one of us to get lost in thought." Shikimaru commented. Naruto felt a grip around his torso and raised his hands slightly up. His eyes were surprised, but not angry. The grip was strong but not dangerous.

"Um, hello?" Naruto asked the person he could not see. It was Hinata, and she had her arms wrapped around Naruto's body.

"Naruto, you're alright!" she said, and then blushed bright red, drawing backward. "I'm just glad you're ok, is all."

"You know, you're kind of weird, Hinata." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. The others around him shook their heads. "But yeah, I'm glad as many of us are alright as there are. Is this everyone that got out?" Naruto asked, but then felt a chakra radiating around the group that at least matched his own. Gai was carrying Lee, who was holding his crutches. Gai's entire body radiated strength, and the rest of the group could hardly stand, between Gai and Naruto.

"Gai sensei, I think I can walk on my own now." Lee said, and Gai set him down, before sitting down himself. His breathing was labored, and he made every effort to conceal the strain his power had imposed on his mortal form.

"Lee, you did great. I'm proud of you, you stood up to a powerful adversary even when you had no hope of winning, to protect another."

"Thank you, Gai sensei!" Lee beamed, saluting with one hand, holding himself up with the other, and his crutches.

"Lee, I know the senseis aren't supposed to play favorites with our students, but then again I've never really thought of you as a student, Lee. You've always been more like a son to me, the son I never had."

"Gai sensei…" Lee said softly. Lee kneeled next to Gai, and the setting sun sat behind them.

"Lee…" Gai responded, closing his eyes. He lay down, and breathed softly. Their typical imagery of a tidal wave rose behind them. "Let the flame of youth…Live on within you all."

"Gai sensei…" Lee continued, his eyes misting over.

"Lee…" Gai smiled.

"Gai sensei…" Lee was crying now, if only slightly. There was only silence from Gai. "Gai sensei!" Lee cried, his eyes full of tears now. Still only silence. "GAI SENSEI!" Lee shouted, falling over onto his mentor's body. The tidal wave crashed, and the sun set behind him. The entire group; Naruto, Sasuke, Shikimaru, Hinata, and Chouji, were silent, as Lee grieved over his mentor's body. Lee stood up soon after, his crutches supporting him, drying his eyes with a free hand. He smiled weakly, tear water still on his face.

"I'm sorry, Lee." Shikimaru said quietly.

"It is alright, Shikimaru. Gai sensei died defending that which he loved, and that was Konaha. If he had to die, that would have been the death he wanted." Lee was smiling now, whether it was faked or not, it was reassuring. Shikimaru nodded in agreement.

"A lot of people died today. We all lost friends and family, that much I know. No one that died would have wanted us to mourn very long." Shikimaru said with a strong voice.

"What we need to do, first of all, is find a place where we can tend to our wounded, Lee and Sasuke especially. Right now Lee can't even fight, and Sasuke has no use of his right arm. That is our first priority. We should also appoint a leader, someone who is intelligent, and won't abuse their position."

"I vote Shikimaru." Chouji said. Ino agreed in his mind, and he smiled.

"Yeah, Shikimaru, you should be the leader." Hinata said. Sasuke shrugged, Lee beamed happily, and Naruto gave the thumbs up.

"Well, I suppose I could. I don't know that I'm really the leader type, though. I've never been all that motivated."

"Shikimaru, you'll do a great job." Naruto said with a smile.

"Alright, well if no one has any complaints, I suppose I'm the leader." Shikimaru said. _Man what a drag…_

"Now, where can we fix these guys up? I don't think Sasuke's injuries are too bad, just a case of severe chakra exhaustion, by what I've heard, and can see. Lee, however, will need some expert aid, and no one here is a medical ninja."

"I know of someone." Hinata said.

"Who is it? Is there some cousin of your clan, or that sort of thing?"

"No, Tsunade, the legendary Kunoichi. She's a sannin, and she trained under the third hokage."

"Yeah!" Naruto said loudly. "Pervy sage mentioned her a time or two when we trained! She's supposed to be some sort of great medical ninja! If she can't help bushy brows, nobody can!"

"Alright, it's settled. We will find Tsunade, and we will get her to heal Lee!" Shikimaru said, and he held his hand out, palm down, in the center of the group. The others put their hands in, one at a time. Naruto's chakra had settled now, and he had no aura or tails. "Counting Ino, who is inside Chouji's head, we are the Konaha six, the last heirs of the hidden leaf village!" Shikimaru said, and they all nodded. "Now, lets find our medical ninja." He said with a smile, and they all began to walk away from the burning Konaha.

"Oh this hurts….Kabuto, how long will it take?" Orochimaru said, as he and Kabuto sat in his lair. He glared at his grisly, lifeless arms.

"My lord, I'm afraid this kind of medical jutsu is beyond me. There is only one person who has a hope of performing it successfully."

"Well then, I suppose we will have to look up my old friend, won't we?" Orochimaru responded.

"Yes, My lord. Tsunade will be found, and we will make her heal your arms."


	6. Chapter 6

It was the night of the invasion

Sorry I wasn't able to keep up my previous pace of posting! Writers block, graduation, grad parties, etc etc! Anyway, here is chapter 6! Also, I'd like to mention that as an author, I of course have had help. This story was actually a collaboration between myself, and a friend of mine, kyuubiNaru1990. We spent a good amount of time at school working on the plot and things like that, and he mentioned (not in these words) that I was being selfish, taking all the credit for myself. For all of you who started reading this because I posted it as a Naru/Hina, this is where it starts getting good! Enjoy!

It was the night of the invasion. The sky was clear, and the stars were bright. They hadn't made it all that far out of the village, but it was out of sight. Naruto lay on a hillside, in the grass. The wind was blowing cool air onto his face, and the grass moved around him in whimsical patterns. He was lost in thought, staring aimlessly at the stars. He didn't even notice as Hinata walked up and sat down next to him.

"Naruto-kun? Are you ok?" Hinata asked.

"I met my father today, during the invasion." Naruto said. "For the first time." He didn't look at her, just at the skies.

"That's good, right?"

"I had to kill him." Naruto responded.

"No, you wouldn't do that. It can't be your fault, Naruto-kun."

"Orochimaru summoned the three other hokages, to help him destroy Konaha. My father was the fourth Hokage. He's been dead since he put the demon inside me."

"Oh, Naruto-kun, I'm so sorry." _Poor Naruto! I thought I had been through a lot today, but hearing this makes my difficulties seem insignificant._ Hinata lay down next to him, staring at the sky too.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"Why did you come out here? Nobody else did, and we don't really know each other all that well." Naruto sat up to look at her. She averted her eyes a bit and stuttered.

"Naruto-kun, I, uh..."

"What is it? You can tell me, there is no one else here." She began to sit up slowly.

"Naruto-kun, I've wanted to tell you something for a long time, especially since the day Neji beat me in the chunin exams."

"Yeah?"

"Naruto...You...You inspired me, that day. I've been training harder, and more often. I've gotten a lot stronger, thanks to you."

"Thanks to me? I didn't do anything."

"But you did, Naruto. Ever since then, every time I want to just quit, I see your face, telling me to never give up, to never back down, no matter what." They met eyes for the first time, facing each other, their eyes just a few inches apart.

"Hinata?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Is it alright if we stop talking, and just lay here, for awhile?"

"Sure, Naruto." Naruto lay back, and his left arm, instead of going behind his head, went out straight to his left. As Hinata lay back, she felt it against her shoulders, and sat back up. "Oh, sorry."

"It's alright, Hinata. Just lie down, ok? I just have a lot to think about." She laid down, and his arm stayed there. He cupped his hand around her left shoulder and pulled her in closer.

Naruto woke up the next morning on that same grassy hill, but alone. The grass in the spot where Hinata had lain the night before was still flattened, so he knew she hadn't been gone long. She had fallen asleep next to him. Shikimaru walked silently over, hands in his pockets.

"Naruto, we should be heading out. The sun is completely up, and I find it hard to believe that Orochimaru won't send anyone to find us."

"Yeah." Was all Naruto said, as he stood up.

"Hey, Naruto?" Shikimaru asked.

"Yeah?"

"I heard about what happened with you during the invasion, from Sasuke. If you need to talk to anyone...You know how to find me."

"Thanks, Shikimaru, but I think I found my outlet."

"Thats good, I'm glad to hear it. I don't need any members of my tiny squad going AWOL on me." Shikimaru said with a slight laugh.

"Yeah, don't worry about me. I'm going to be fine." Naruto said, smiling.

"Hey, have you seen Hinata? Nobody else has seen her since last night."

"Um, sorry, I haven't. I bet she's back with the others by now anyway."

"Yeah, your probably right." They walked back to the camp the others had made, to see that it was all packed up. Sasuke, Hinata, Chouji, and Lee were waiting for them. "Alright guys, we have us a sannin to find! Let's do it!" Shikimaru said, and with that, they set off on the trail before them. They kept it at a slow pace, giving Lee plenty of time to keep up.

The group exited a small village, having been told Tsunade had been there, but left months ago. They still held their heads high, knowing there were hundreds of small villages in the Land of Fire. Shikimaru continued to lead, with Sasuke and Lee behind him, then Choji, while Naruto and Hinata brought up the way back.

"So, why did you leave, before I woke up this morning?"

"I, uh, I heard Shikimaru coming. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, I was just..."

"What?"

"I was nervous, I barely got up the nerve to sit next to you, Naruto-kun, I can't even begin to think how I'd explain that to someone else."

"Why are you so nervous around me?"

"Naruto, you sly dog you!" Jiraiya said as he landed behind them, laughing, and patting Naruto on the back.

"PERVY SAGE?!" Naruto said, recoiling back, as Hinata fainted.

"What's with her?" Jiraiya asked.

"Wait, you made it out of the village! Is there anyone with you?"

"No, just me. I think that your group might be all that's left of the hidden leaf village."

"Oh...Well, why are you here?" Naruto asked. The rest of the group had stopped to turn around at this point, and Hinata was on her feet.

"Well, during the invasion, once I realized there was nothing I could do to save Konaha, I started collecting some important things."

"Like what?" Shikimaru asked.

"Well, documents for preservations sake, some of my books..."

"And that brought you here, why? We already know about Konaha. We don't need a history lesson."

"Or any adult reading material..." Sasuke said under his breath.

"Anyway! I'm here, to give some things to Naruto."

"What? What did you get for me?"

"Well, with Konaha destroyed, I realized that you would never know the truth if I didn't bring you these things." Jiraiya began rummaging through his pack. He pulled out a few scrolls, and a long, adult sized trenchcoat-style jacket. It was white, with the symbol for 4, and "Konaha's Yellow Flash" on the back. Red flames crept up the bottom, and the collar was large and stuck up.

"What are all these things? And the truth about what?"

"Your father, Naruto. He was my pupil, and the fourth hokage." Naruto looked at him blankly. The others around him stared at Jiraiya, then at Naruto.

"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?" Naruto walked directly next to Jiraiya.

"Settle down, kid. I'm not the only one who didn't tell you..."

"YOU'RE MY SENSEI! HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME?"

"Naruto, calm down." Shikimaru said, and the others agreed. Naruto's eyes were beginning to tint red, and his face was flushed with anger.

"Kid, come on. Your father was a devastatingly powerful shinobi, he had a lot of enemies! He single handedly wiped out an entire Stone army with one technique! Nobody told you to protect you!"

"One technique?" the others said in amazement.

"YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME!" Naruto continued to scream, and then it became less understandable, and more gutteral, feral. He fell to his knees, clutching his head. The red chakra burst out from around him, knocking the genin nearby prone and causing Jiraiya to brace for the impact. "YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME!" The chakra formed claws around his hands, and his canine teeth grew longer. His eyes went wide, and crazed. Four tails whipped behind him, and Jiraiya stood calm now.

"This isn't good.." Sasuke remarked, and had a brief flashback to the sheer power radiating off of Naruto the last time they were in Konaha, that had made even his brother leave in fear.

"KIDS! WE NEED TO CALM HIM DOWN! SUBDUE HIM!" Jiraiya shouted, and he began whipping a rasengan in his right palm. "Naruto! Don't make me do this! I don't want to hurt you!" Naruto was on all fours, growling viciously at Jiraiya.

"You should've told me! YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME!"

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Naruto!"

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

Shikimaru's beam of shadow shot out, grasping hungrily at Naruto's feet. Chouji's hands and arms grew large, and he grabbed onto Naruto. Sasuke's eyes were full of pain as he brought a chidori to his hand, and closed the gap between him and his best friend. Jiraiya's rasengan was complete and he disappeared and reappeared, holding it under Naruto's chin. Naruto growled as his friends struggled.

"LET ME GO! YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD ME!!" Naruto screamed.

"I don't know how long I can hold him, or it, or whatever he is!" Shikimaru shouted.

"He's radiating heat! My palms are burning! Do something!" Chouji shouted.

"Naruto, stop!" Hinata cried, still having not made a move to hold him.

"NARUTO! CALM DOWN! I'LL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO CALM DOWN!" Jiraiya shouted. Sasuke stood next to Naruto, holding his chidori, poised to strike.

"MY FATHER PUT THIS DEMON INSIDE ME TO SAVE KONAHA, WAS THE HOKAGE, AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" Naruto continued to scream, and Chouji's hands were turning bright red, as Naruto shook violently, trying to break the grasp.

"Naruo-kun! Stop! It's alright, you don't have to hurt anyone!" Hinata said, finally moving.

"HINATA! Get away from him!" Shikimaru shouted.

"STAY BACK, KID! HE'S DANGEROUS!" Jiraiya shouted, but she continued to walk closer.

"Nar...Naruto-kun, it's alright. He didn't tell you to protect you, it was for your own safety." Hinata reached out a hand to Naruto's face. His eyes were still wild, crazed, and his canines still extended.

"Hinata...Don't touch him!" Shikimaru shouted, but Naruto made no move to attack her.

"It's ok, Naruto-kun. Everything will be ok." her hand touched his cheek, and his anger started to waver. His eyes closed, and opened, as if he was fighting an inner battle. His eyes shot around, to each of his friends, each who had a look of sincere concern on their faces. "It's alright, Naruto-kun." her fingers moved into his hair, and he stopped shaking. His eyes closed once more, and he opened them, the red tint gone. He stopped being warm to the touch, and the red chakra faded. His fangs and claws disappeared, and as the jutsu were released, he fell to the ground. Hinata kneeled next to him, and helped him sit up.

"I...I'm sorry, everyone."

"It's alright kid. It's alright." Jiraiya said as he ruffled Naruto's hair.

"Naruto-kun, I'm so glad you came back to us!" Hinata said as she hugged him. A few seconds later, she recoiled, her eyes wide, and her cheeks red. She fainted.

"Whats with her?" Jiraiya asked. "Oh, I get it! Naruto, you sly dog!" Jiraiya said with a laugh.


	7. Chapter 7 The Money Shot

By popular demand, I decided to update sooner as opposed to later

By popular demand, I decided to update sooner as opposed to later. You guys will need to give me some time for the next chapter, however, because I'm out of backed up material. Anyway, here it is, chapter 7 of the fall of konaha. Naru/Hina fans rejoice! (No they don't do that, you perverts! Haha, j/p) People who are just crazy about the action packed stuff, just wait a few chapters, ok? Keep reading; send this to your friends, and my eternal thanks for the amazing support I've gotten! Please, enjoy!

They all sat around a fire that night, Jiraiya speaking.

"Alright, so, here it is, from the beginning. When Sarutobi decided he no longer wanted to be the Hokage, he chose Minato, a man I had trained, to be the fourth hokage. As you may or may not know, that pissed off Orochimaru, but he didn't defect, not yet. Minato was the leaf village's ultimate weapon in the great shinobi wars, and became known as "Konaha's Yellow Flash" because of the technique he used to level armies. Some time later, the nine-tailed fox, Kyuubi, attacked the village for unknown reasons. Minato made the ultimate sacrifice for the village, he died performing a jutsu that imprisoned the fox inside of his son. That would be you, Naruto. As he lay dying, he told Sarutobi to make sure everyone in the village revered you, Naruto, as he felt you too had made a sacrifice. You would hold a terrible burden for your entire life, and he wanted you to get only respect for that. Unfortunately, the villagers saw it differently. They saw you as if you were Kyuubi, not his container, and their emnity for you passed on through their children. Minato also told him that you shouldn't know who your father was, because of his many enemies, in particular the entire Village Hidden in the Stone, which he had beaten more than once with his Flying Thunder God technique. This was to protect you." Jiraiya finished, and Naruto just stared into the fire.

"So, Naruto has a demon inside him?" Chouji asked. _Poor guy!_ Ino thought.

"Yes, that is correct. He isn't the only person to have a demon trapped inside him. The boy Sasuke killed during the chunin exams, Gaara, was the Kazekage's son, and the container of Shukaku, the one-tailed tannuki. He, however, was created as a military weapon, not to save a village, like you were, Naruto."

"So, my dad...was the hokage? And he died defending Konaha?" Naruto asked.

"Yes." Jiraiya responded.

"OK. I can deal with that." Naruto said. Jiraiya smiled smugly at him. While Naruto was looking into the fire, and Hinata was looking at Naruto, Jiraiya quickly signaled to the others.

"I'm going to go get some more firewood." Jiraiya said.

"I'll help!" Chouji said as they stood up.

"And i'll go with you guys. It's too warm here for my tastes." Shikimaru responded.

"I'm just going to go to bed." Lee said as he walked a ways away and climbed into a tent.

"I guess I'll go get water, or something." Sasuke said as he left. This left Naruto and Hinata alone.

Naruto stood up. Hinata looked at the ground, as if he were going to leave, but he just stretched and sat back down. She slid over closer to him.

"Naruto-kun, are you ok?"

"Why shouldn't I be? My father died defending his village. It's what any good shinobi would want." Naruto responded in a tone that clearly implied his thoughts were not reflected in his words.

"Because you had to destroy what was your father. You had just met him, and had to destroy him. It's only natural, that you would be having some kind of inner conflict." Hinata slid over a little further, now their sides were practically touching.

"But he was a hero, and, I'm supposed to be a hero too."

"Naruto-kun, it's alright to feel...the way you do, about these things."

"You know, Hinata, you're stuttering a lot less than usual." Naruto said as he turned to look in her direction, smiling when he realized how close she was. He put his arm over her shoulder, and she leaned against him.

"Oh, Naruto! I knew you had it in you! Like master, like apprentice!" Jiraiya said quietly from the bushes, holding a pair of binoculars as he watched the impromptu "date" he had created.

"What's going on?" Chouji asked. _Thanks for asking, Chouji! I know you don't really care about this stuff! _Ino said in his head. Sasuke and Shikimaru sat behind them, their eyes closed and hands across their chests.

Hinata blushed a little, as close as she was to Naruto.

"Hinata, you're blushing again." Naruto said with a smile.

"Oh, am I? I'm sorry, I'll try to stop."

"No, don't worry. It's alright. You know, in all the years i spent drooling over Sakura-" Naruto stopped mid sentence.

"Is something wrong?"

"Sakura...I was there...I was there when she died, and I couldn't protect her."

"Naruto-kun, it's ok. Everyone here lost people special to them yesterday."

"No, it's not ok. I failed to protect her, I should've been faster! Stronger! I shouldn't have let him kill her. It's my fault!" Naruto said as he jumped to his feet and ran out of the illumination of the camplight.

_Hey Chouji, do you...uh, mind? _Ino asked. _No, no problem. Go ahead._

"Hinata, are you ok?" Chouji said in a tone that didn't seem normal for the akimichi.

"Chouji-kun?" Hinata asked.

"No, it's Ino. I'm stuck in Chouji's head, I'm just borrowing him for awhile." He, or she, said with a small laugh.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I guess i'm fine."

"Naruto is going through some rough stuff, it'll take time for him to heal. It will be that way for all of us."

"Yeah."

"You should go find him. Be there for him, you know?"

"I guess you're right." Hinata said as she stood up. "What if i can't find him?" Hinata said sadly.

"Hinata, of anyone, I'd think you'll have the least problems finding him." Ino continued. Hinata looked slightly confused, until Ino poked the side of Hinata's head, just next to her eyes, gently. Hinata smiled.

"Oh, right." Hinata walked off into the woods.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata found Naruto sitting on the side of a small moonlit lake.

"Yeah." Naruto said sadly.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked as she sat next to him once more.

"Nothing. I'm just having trouble accepting some things." Hinata leaned in closer to Naruto, and even took his arm and draped it around her own shoulders. "You've been a lot less shy these past few days. What's up with you?"

"You've been a lot less happy these past few days. What's up with you?" Hinata responded, avoiding the question.

"You know what's wrong with me." Naruto continued to sulk.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata sad sadly. "I've been less shy...because...because, as bad as it sounds, since after the invasion, I've been happy. Neji, he died trying to save me, and the things he said, they just really moved me."

"Oh."

"And because of the time I've spent..."

"The time you've spent, what?" Naruto asked, looking up at her the first time.

"The time I've spent with you, Naruto-kun."

"You've been happy, because of me?"

"Good lord that boy is dense. Maybe he's less like me than i thought..." Jiraiya said as he continued to spy.

"Yes." Hinata answered. "If it's ok, I'd really like you to tell me what was going on, when Sakura came up."

"I couldn't defend her. I failed, and she died because of it. If i couldn't defend her, how can I defend my friends? How could I become a hokage if i can't defend one person, nevermind a village!"

"Naruto, it isn't your fault..."

"Poor guy...He's a wreck!" Ino said, still borrowing Chouji's body. _Ino, can I have my body back?_ "No! I need a front row seat for this. Besides, you don't care all that much about this anyway..."

"How isn't it my fault? I was right there, he was talking to Sasuke. I knew he was a bad guy, he already threatened her! I should've just KILLED HIM!" Naruto's eyes tinted red, and Hinata's eyes went wide.

"Naruto! Don't leave me again!" She leaned over and hugged him tightly. The red faded as quickly as it had come, and he hugged her back.

"I'm sorry, Hinata...Things recently..."

"What? What about things recently?" Hinata was thinking that Naruto was going to reject her, it was clear in her eyes, and although Naruto couldn't see them, the rest of the group could, through Jiraiya's multiple pairs of binoculars.

"Its just that...I think I figured out why your so nervous around me, and I've been thinking about it."

"Wait, he figured it out?" Sasuke said, only listening, but not watching.

"Naruto, you clever clever boy you! He's got that girl wrapped around his finger!" Jiraiya exclaimed. Ino, using Chouji's body, punched him in the back of the head.

"Shut up, pervert! This is a really touching moment!"

"You...you did?" Hinata pulled out of the hug and looked at his eyes.

"Yeah, I did...And, I was thinking about it. If I couldn't protect her, how can I protect you?"

"Wow, he finally got it." Sasuke commented, then stood up and walked away. Jiraiya remained facedown on the ground, his head throbbing from Ino's blow.

"Oh, Naruto!" Ino sighed. "I wish someone would say something sweet like that to me..."

_It's hard to protect someone WHO TOOK OVER YOUR BODY!! Chouji screamed inside his own mind. "Oh, well, you wouldn't run away! How can I be your wife if you don't listen to me constantly?" WIFE? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! "Oh, Chouji you big kidder!" LET ME OUT OF HERE! IT'S MY BODY, GIVE IT BACK!_

"_Pro..protect...me?" Hinata asked. "Why would you need to protect me?"_

"_Well, that's what a guy in my position is supposed to do..."_

"_A guy in...your position?" As they spoke they were unknowingly leaning closer._

"_No way...is he going to? No, not our little Naruto!" Ino assumed a very un-manly position, with her hands clasped next to her head and her eyes skyward, and one leg raised at the knee, floating behind her. __OK! THAT'S IT, INO! YOUR DONE! Chouji screamed in his mind, and then Ino lost Chouji's balance as they wrestled in their mind. They mentally wrestled and Chouji's body rolled around the small area where the group had been watching._

"_Watch it..." Sasuke said, opening one eye._

"Chouji, cool it...Ino is just...being Ino." Shikimaru said, not opening either eye. Jiraiya watched through the binoculars with almost as much interest as he would if he were doing "research".

"I could use this as a new plot device for a book...Thick guy is worshipped by shy girl, and at the climactic end they top it off with a steamy kiss!!" Jiraiya practically giggled.

"You know...a guy has to protect his...He has to protect his..." Naruto leaned in a little closer, almost drawn to her. Only Jiraiya was watching now, and Naruto was less than an inch from Hinata.

"Come on, Naruto! You can do this!"

"YES! I'M FREE!" Chouji shouted as he leapt to his feet. _Oh, no your not! _Ino tried to resume control of her host, and he fell forward, into Jiraiya, who fell forward and dropped his binoculars.

"NO!" Jiraiya shouted, and scrambled for his binoculars. With Chouji wrestling himself on Jiraiya's back, it took him some time to get them back in hand, and when he looked through them, Hinata was leaning against Naruto as he held his arm over her shoulders. Her head rested on his shoulder, and his head rested on hers. "I missed it...I missed the money shot..." Jiraiya was crying.


	8. Chapter 8

"Kids, this town is it for sure! I have it on a very reliable source that Tsunade is here!" Jiraiya shouted as he and the group walked into another small village.

"What makes you so sure?" Shikimaru asked.

"What, you don't trust me?"

"No." Shikimaru replied.

"Not really." Naruto commented.

"Not in the least." Sasuke added. Jiraiya sulked.

"Well, you will just have to! Trust me, she's here!" Jiraiya was keeping to himself that he was also feeling a presence he hadn't felt since the invasion. His old peer, Orochimaru.

They continued to walk through, and Jiraiya glanced at a bar.

"Hey, uh, Naruto. I'm going to head into that bar and look for Tsunade, but it will go a lot quicker if I had some money, and right now, I'm broke." Jiraiya grinned as he saw a sign that indicated he would very likely find women inside.

"Um, sure, I guess, if we'll find her faster." Naruto pulled out his frog coin purse, pulled out a couple coins, and Jiraiya immediately snatched the rest of the purse.

"Good idea, take some for yourself, to keep you busy while I'm in there. I'll be right back!" Jiraiya smiled wide and rushed into the bar.

"Pervy sage! Get back here!" Naruto ran towards the bar, but a tall, heavily muscled man held him back.

"Sorry kid, no kids allowed. Can't you read?" he pointed to a sign that clearly said "no children". Naruto sighed and looked at the ground.

"Well, what now? He says he knows where she is, should we keep looking, or just let him do it?" Naruto asked.

"Let him do it, we can go find a shady spot to take a nap." Shikimaru responded. "I haven't had a good nap in days.

"Or we could find somewhere to grab some food." Chouji mentioned. _You would be thinking of food! Now that we are sharing a body, you're going to drop some weight! _Ino screamed in his head. "We may be sharing, but it's still my body! I'll eat when I want, understand?" Chouji shouted, and Ino pouted inside his head.

"Chouji, having Ino in your head must be such a drag..." Shikimaru said as he put his hands behind his head and looked skyward. "I'm still all for a nap." he said with a yawn.

"Food first, then nap!" Chouji shouted, and Naruto nodded. They ran off together in search of a restaurant. Hinata chased after Naruto.

"I'd train if I could..." Lee said sadly.

"So would I." Sasuke added.

"Why can't you train, Sasuke?" Shikimaru asked. "You were fine when Naruto freaked out, you were using your chidori, right?"

"Yeah, well I didn't really have any excess chakra beyond that. My arm was getting better, but then I added another high amount of stress to it, and now it's back to useless again." Sasuke's arm was hanging limp at his side.

Jiraiya walked out of the bar to an empty street some hours later, stumbling. He had lipstick on his cheek, but it looked less like lip impressions and more like it was used as a weapon. He rubbed his cheek, and looked around for the kids. "They can't even wait a couple of hours?" Jiraiya sighed, and kept walking.

Naruto, Chouji, and Hinata sat on bar stools in a small shop. The bowls had piled up around Naruto and Chouji, while Hinata had had only one. Jiraiya strolled in as the bill was left at the counter.

"Hey, pervy sage! Just in time!" Naruto said as he hopped off the stool and strolled out. Chouji followed him, as did Hinata.

"In time for what?" Jiraiya asked, and the bill was shoved in his face. "You little brats!!" Jiraiya shouted as they ran off. He turned to look closely at the bill. "That is WAAAY too many zeroes!!" Jiraiya called after them, but they were long gone. He sighed heavily, and pulled out a checkbook.

The Konaha Six had collected on a hill, under a tree. Jiraiya finally found them, and glared at Naruto. He tossed the empty frog pouch at him, and Naruto's eyes went wide. They both sighed.

"Alright, kids, I found her, but I need to talk to her alone first, ok? She's talking to an old mutual friend, and now isn't the time for you to be involved, ok?" The group sighed collectively. "Alright, good, now I'll be back soon, I promise!" Jiraiya ran off.

"I'm going to tail him." Naruto said as he stood up. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Suit yourself." Shikimaru said without moving or opening his eyes.

"As if you could sneak behind a sannin." Sasuke commented.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata said sadly.

"I've decided, Orochimaru. I'm not going to help you with your arms. They wouldn't want to be brought back." Tsunade said, and Orochimaru scowled, Kabuto glared, and Jiraiya managed to keep a straight face for once.

"I'm sorry you had to see things that way, my dear. I know they would have wanted to see you." Orochimaru said softly. "Kabuto, let's go. We're done here."

"Not so fast, Orochimaru! You've got a lot to answer for! You destroyed Konaha, and you aren't escaping here without paying for your villainy!"

"Lord Orochimaru is leaving now, and there isn't anything you can do to change that." Kabuto said angrily.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Jiraiya dropped into a stance.

"Kabuto, summon Manda, if you would."

"Summoning Jutsu!" all three sannin cried, Kabuto manipulating Orochimaru's arms and hands.

"Jiraiya! Why have you summoned me?" Gamabunta asked, his pipe waving precariously in his mouth.

"Tsunade, how can I be of help?" Katsuyu asked.

"Orochimaru...Twice in a single week? My jaw still aches from that wretched Leaf Shinobi." Manda hissed angrily.

"Come on, Boss, I just need you to help me take down Orochimaru for destroying Konaha."

"Orochimaru is trying to use Manda as a distraction while he escapes. That can't be allowed." Tsunade said.

"Only briefly, Manda, and you may consume the toad and slug when you are done."

"**OROCHIMARU!**" A scream could be heard from behind Jiraiya, and Naruto stood angrily, the ground around him shaking. The red chakra flared up, and he dropped to all fours.

"Your demon prison is angry about something, Jiraiya. You should console him." Orochimaru said with a smile. Jiraiya looked back, and grinned.

"Tsunade, take a step back. We don't actually need Gamabunta or Katsuyu."

"What are you talking about?" Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Kabuto said simultaneously.

"Well, you see, Orochimaru, during your invasion, Naruto became less of a prison, and more of a...jailer." the earth around them all continued to shake violently, and wind whipped through the field.

"Kabuto, it's time to leave." Orochimaru said as he walked away. "Manda, deal with this rabble." Manda shot forward, and halted in his tracks, mouth wide open. An extraordinary amount of blood shot in both directions from his upper jaw as a red and orange flash shot through him. Naruto landed between the massive snake and Orochimaru, nine tails flowing behind him. Manda fell to the earth, not moving, a massive hole apparent in his upper jaw. Orochimaru slipped into the earth, as Naruto shot a massive, fiery, red claw from his arm, landing where Orochimaru had stood, clawing at the earth.

"Naruto! Calm down! He's gone." Jiraiya said as he walked closer. Naruto fell on his stomach, the chakra receded, and he lay there, sleeping. "Tsunade, Naruto has a favor to ask you, he has some friends who need some medical attention." Jiraiya said quietly, and she looked at him with some disdain. "If it changes your mind, he wants nothing more than to be Hokage." She looked at the sleeping child, and nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

Come on, folks! Read, review, and favorite! Enjoy the latest installment!

"Alright Lee, this procedure is highly experimental, and very dangerous. It could have no effect, it could cure you completely, or you could die. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Tsunade asked as she stood over Lee. He was lying on a bed, looking up at her, determined.

"Lady Tsunade, it is my destiny to be a ninja. If I cannot be a ninja, then my destiny is to be nothing. Please, this procedure is my only hope." Lee smiled broadly up at her. "You are the greatest medical ninja to have come out of Konaha, just like Gai sensei was the greatest Taijutsu master to come out of Konaha. I have faith in you, Lady Tsunade." He flashed her his winning smile, and a thumbs up.

"Very well, Lee. I'm going to knock you unconcious now, and I'll begin the procedure." She put a hand over Lee's forehead, and it glowed blue. His eyes drooped, and he fell unconcious. "Shizune, let's do this."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade."

A week later, in that same village, the others of the Konaha Six waited impatiently for Lee to recover. The procedure was complete, but it wasn't yet known if it had been a success. Lee would have to awaken for that to be known, but Tsunade was optimistic.

The door from the tavern room that had served as an impromptu surgery room opened. Everyone stared at it with baited breath, and Lee hobbled out, on crutches. Everyone sighed and hung their heads.

"YAHOO!!" Lee shouted as he tossed the crutches to either side. He ran around the hallway at breakneck speed. Everyone smiled, and he stopped suddenly, in front of Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade!" He shouted, saluting. "I owe you my life! My goal to become a splendid ninja, without the use of ninjutsu or genjutsu has begun anew!" Congratulations and pats on the back filled the room, and for a moment, everything was good, for the first time since the invasion of Konaha.

The next day, the Konaha six were left to their own devices. Tsunade and Jiraiya had left, and with no Konaha to return to, it was unlikely that anyone could predict either Sannin's planned journey, if they even had a plan.

"Alright guys, since we are all up and running, and back to top shape, I think it's time we planned our next course of action." Shikimaru said with a sigh as they stood at a crossroads out of the village. There were several signs, each pointing to different lands.

"We destroy Orochimaru." Naruto said. No one disagreed.

"Well, that sounds good, but no one here is strong enough to take down Orochimaru." Shikimaru commented.

"Naruto is." Sasuke commented quietly. He hated himself for admitting that Naruto could do something he couldn't hope to, but he hated Orochimaru, and Madara as much as Naruto did. Naruto looked at him solemnly, and nodded. Sasuke sighed.

"Not alone I can't. We will need everyone here, and then some, to bring him down."

"Well said, Naruto. We need a plan, one that will make us stronger, and get some more allies at our backs. THEN we can take down Orochimaru."

"Speaking of Orochimaru..." the voice came from a copse of trees a few hundred feet away, and some twenty sound ninja leapt from the trees. They all carried knives, and were rushing at the group. "He's ordered that we bring the Uchiha back to him!"

"What? How did he find us so easily?" Chouji asked.

"The curse mark. Somehow, Orochimaru can tell where it is. Right now, we have a bigger problem." Shikimaru reasoned.

"Sasuke, do me a favor. When the time is right, use your fireball jutsu." Chouji said, then pulled out from a large bag a lengthy spiked chain. He wrapped it around himself as the sound ninja got closer. "Human Boulder!" He shouted, and turned into the familiar ball, with spikes.

"Fire Style! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, breathing fire all over Chouji. The spikes heated up, glowing red hot, and Chouji rolled towards the incoming sound ninja. They moved to evade.

"Mass Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikimaru shouted, and several streams of black shadow shot from his feet, capturing the sound ninja. Chouji barrelled through several, and the rest shot free from the clutches of Shikimaru's jutsu as he was forced to evade a kunai from a wayward ninja.

"Sasuke! What's wrong?" Naruto shouted. Unknown to the rest of the group, after using his fireball jutsu, Sasuke had fallen to the ground, his curse mark activated, and he writhed in pain.

"I have the curse mark too, and mine being so close caused his to act up!" Shouted the sound ninja that had interrupted Shikimaru's jutsu. He roared, and it activated, the black marks crawling over his skin. He leapt to attack Shikimaru, but before he got there Sasuke had leapt from the ground, his entire body covered in the curse mark now, and he began to strangle the sound ninja.

"Shut up. Don't make me kill you." Sasuke said as he held the ninja off the ground in one, crushing hand. His eyes were sinister, and full of malice.

"Sasuke! Stop it!" Naruto shouted, rushing to calm his possessed friend. He reached out with one hand, and Sasuke slapped it away. He tossed the sound ninja aside, and turned towards Naruto.

"What do you want? You can hardly point a finger at me! How many times these past days have we had to bring you back to yourself?" Sasuke advanced on Naruto. With the sound ninja defeated, the others rushed to calm Sasuke down.

A few hours later, they were back in the impromptu surgery room. Sasuke lay in the center, still writhing in pain, but Shikimaru held him in place. The curse mark wasn't receding. Hinata finished drawing the markings on the floor.

"So Naruto, what's your plan for this again? You said you can't remove the curse mark, right?" Shikimaru asked.

"Yeah, but the demon, it gave me an idea. I should be able to alter his curse mark with the fox's chakra, now that I have a good amount of control."

"Do you really think that will work, Naruto? Can you alter the curse mark?" Lee asked.

"We'll find out." Naruto replied. He focused his chakra inward, and the red chakra came free. He continued to focus, and he grew fangs and claws. He focused his energy into his right hand, and it glowed a brighter red than the rest of him. An incorporeal hand moved slowly from Naruto's hand, bright red, and it moved to Sasuke. The five fingers of the hand seemed to puncture Sasuke's skin, and he screamed in agony.

"Naruto-kun, do you know what your doing?" Hinata asked.

"Not really...But I don't have a choice." he replied grimly. The seal slowly changed on Sasuke's neck, and an additional black circle with five distinct points formed around it. Sasuke curled up tightly, still screaming. "It's done...if I've done anything." Sasuke's screams changed to roars, and a dark sphere began to form around him. There was a heavy wind in the room, all towards the center of the room. Everyone latched onto something, and most were lifted off their feet, flailing dangerously as the vortex around Sasuke strengthened. Sasuke's roars could barely be heard now.

"Naruto! What did you do?" Chouji hollered.

"I got the idea from the demon inside me, it seemed like a good idea at the time, anything to help Sasuke!"

"You got the idea from the DEMON THAT INHABITS YOUR BODY?" Shikimaru shouted angrily.

"Well, I have control over it now! I figured It'd be ok!"

"Naruto, you'll never truly have control of it! You may have gained it's chakra, but it's mind is it's own!" Shikimaru continued. Suddenly, everyone dropped, the wind gone, and then they were pressed flat against the walls as an explosion shook the room. After the smoke cleared, and they climbed to their feet, all that could be seen was a shadowy, vaguely human figure in the center of the room. It seemed as if it was growing, but then it ebcame clear that it was not growing, it was spreading its wings. Two, massive, black, feathered wings were sprouting from Sasuke's back as he kneeled on the ground. His hair was stark white, in the same fashion, but longer. His eyes were fierce but gentle.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked tentatively.

"Naruto?" Sasuke replied, almost as if he was unsure who had asked.

Thanks for reading!! Please, review the story! Tell me what you thought, even if its criticism, i can learn from it!!


	10. Chapter 10 Sasuke's Replacement

Ok here is the newest installment!! For those of you that like my writing, dont be shy i know your out there, please check out my other two stories! They have been getting very little attention because they aren't labeled Naru/Hina haha. I apologize for this fairly short chapter, but i didnt think it made sense to go into the next chapter. Anyway, my other stories are By Any Means Necessary, and Broken. Please check them out!

"Sasuke

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked tentatively.

"Naruto?" Sasuke replied, almost as if he was unsure who had asked.

"Yeah, it's me. Good to have you back, buddy." Naruto walked forward, his hand out, to shake hands with his old friend. Sasuke took his hand, and shook it.

"What happened, and what are these?" Sasuke asked, as he lifted his arms to get a better look at his new wings.

"They look like wings." Shikimaru pointed out flatly. Sasuke didn't respond with the enmity that would've been typical for him, but rather with a tone and expression of wonder.

"Wow..." He raised and lowered them, looking at them in awe. "I feel...stronger. Faster. A lot stronger..." He tucked his wings to his back, and put a foot on the windowsill.

"Sasuke, where are you going?"

"I'm going to try them out." He leapt out of the window, and fell earthward. Naruto rushed to the window, watching him fall.

"Sasuke!" he shouted as he narrowly approached the ground. Sasuke's wings shot out, halting his descent, and he arced upward, gliding in the sun. He was flying almost vertically now, and he stopped in the sky, directly between the sun and Naruto's vision. He spread his wings wide, then it appeared as if he was treading air, like a swimmer would water. He leaned backwards, then when he was horizontal, he rolled over, heading back towards the inn. He stopped just short, then climbed back in. He stopped in the middle of the room, and he dropped to one knee. The wings retracted, and the mark faded from his body, receding back into the wound around his neck. He climbed shakily to his feet, twin holes in the back of his shirt.

"Sasuke?" Shikimaru and Naruto asked simultaneously.

"I feel fine, better than fine, actually. The curse mark, it was like...a heavy burden, and now it's gone. I'm free. Free enough to fly." Sasuke said with a slight smile. It wasn't a smirk, or any combination of happiness and another emotion, he was just happy.

"So it's agreed, we need help. We can't bring down Orochimaru alone." Shikimaru said. The group stood outside of the village later that day. The same road sign pointed towards several nations.

"Right." Everyone else said in unison.

"I've been thinking, and it may be in our best interest to recruit help from other nations, get other ninjas. People who don't like Orochimaru, or the village hidden in the sand. Unfortunately, we have a lot of ground to cover. I think our best option is to split up, into three groups of two."

"Alright, sounds good. What will the groups be?" Naruto asked. He looked over to Sasuke, and then to Hinata, like he didn't know who he wanted to be paired with.

"I've been thinking about that too. I think, the best groups will be like this. I'll go with Chouji, and Ino as a result of being with Chouji. We've worked together for a long time, so it will be a strong group. The second group, will be Sasuke and Lee. Their specialties balance out, Sasuke has a lot of skill in ninjutsu, and ranged fighting, whereas Lee is up close and personal. The final group, is Naruto and Hinata." He paused briefly, looking upward, as if he hadn't come up with a reason for the two to be together besides the fact that it would give them time to well, be together. "Naruto is extremely powerful, but his skills of observation are poor. Hinata balances that." Everyone nodded. Hinata blushed.

"So...we are splitting up? To recruit more ninja to defeat Orochimaru?" Lee asked.

"That's right." Shikimaru responded. "The next objective is to appoint locations, to each team. You guys will head in that direction, and recruit ninja from the hidden villages there. If you can, try to talk to the respective Kages and garner their support. That is your mission."

"I'll go to the land of waves. I have strong ties there, and a bridge named after me." Naruto beamed proudly.

"Good idea. Try the hidden mist village as well. It's near there, and you helped kill one of their most notorius rogue ninjas, Zabuza, so they might be friendly to you. Sasuke, Lee, I want you two to go to the village hidden in the clouds. I think Sasuke's new wings might impress them a little, and after that, go to the land of stone. Lee, I think your sheer physical power might do the trick there. The rest of us will go to the village hidden in the sand, and investigate their involvement in the destruction of konaha. Orochimaru was masquerading as the Kazekage, and I think there had to be something funny about it. Alright guys, at this moment, we split up. You know your missions, now go, and do them."

"Lord Orochimaru, will he really be a suitable substitution to the Uchiha boy? I know you need a new host, since the loss of Kimimaru, and then Sasuke, but he won't be ready in time."

"He will do fine, and I can wait a few years. Besides, when we are both ready for the process, he will be far stronger. Training with a sannin for three years isn't worth nothing, my dear Kabuto." Orochimaru looked at the small boy, writhing on the ground. He had brown hair, goggles across his forehead, a yellow shirt, and a scarf around his neck, which he was clutching as he screamed in pain. "He, and his two friends, will be trained. They will not likely survive the mark, but he will. The grandson of the third hokage should be an extremely suitable new protege." Orochimaru began to laugh maniacally. The room illuminated slightly, and three children could be seen rolling on the ground. The other two, one boy; with brown hair, glasses, the same goggles, and a blue shirt with a white stripe down the center, and one girl; with orange hair in two sharp points, a red and pink shirt, also sporting the goggles. The screaming from the three suffering children seemed to enthrall Orochimaru even further.

Please review! I appreciate it! The more reviews i get urging me to post faster, the faster I will post! Haha, hope you enjoyed!


	11. Chapter 11

Hey guys! As promised, since i got a few reviews asking for expedient posting, I will continue my breakneck speed of posting! Please, review it! I really appreciate it, and in this chapter I even began to use an idea given to me by a reviewer! It is not unlikely that your ideas will be added to the story if they work well with the plot! Please, read, review, favorite! Enjoy.

Naruto and Hinata walked down a long, winding road, as any two ninja might, with one subtle difference. They held hands as the continued, slowly walking down the road towards the Land of Waves and the Great Naruto bridge.

"Hinata, you've been really quiet. Is something wrong?"

"Well, um, Naruto-kun, recently, since we've had all this time to think, something has been bothering me."

"What is it? Come on, you can tell me."

"It's…my sister. I never saw her after I left the hospital the day of the invasion. I saw my father, but I never saw Hanabi."

"Oh, wow, I'm sorry Hinata. I wish I could tell you she's probably fine, but I don't think Orochimaru left anyone alive." He stopped in the road, and moved in front of her. He spread his arms slightly, and she dove into his chest, her hands with her head. He hugged her tightly, and she started crying. "Hinata, it's ok, remember what Shikimaru said? The people that were lost, they wouldn't want us to mourn for them. Just remember the good times, Hinata." She looked up at him, tears still in her eyes, smiled briefly, and then buried her head in his jacket once more. They stood there for a few moments, and then she pulled out of the hug.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." She took his hand once more and started walking. "Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Why haven't you looked at your father's jacket even once since Jiraiya gave it to you?"

"I don't know, I guess I haven't thought about it that much."

"You should wear it." Naruto stopped walking. "Your father would've wanted you to."

"Yeah, but I'm not the fourth hokage, Hinata. That's what it says on the jacket. There isn't even a Hokage at all anymore."

"But you're his son, Naruto-kun."

"I don't know if it's right."

"What if we changed the symbol? I could spend some time, and alter the character, or add to it, if you would like."

"Yeah, yeah I would." Naruto leaned in to kiss her, but was stopped by a voice.

"Hey, you two! Leaf Shinobi!" a man dressed in light brown clothing, with a kunai drawn, stood further down the road.

"Yeah? What do you want?" Naruto asked, puzzled.

"You're about to enter the Land of Flame, and we don't take kindly to outsiders."

"Don't you mean the Land of Fire?" Naruto asked.

"No, you idiot. The Land of Fire is gone, with Konaha."

"So you're from the Land of Flame?"

"Yes, didn't you hear me the first time?"

"Do you have a leader?"

Sometime later, Naruto and Hinata walked through an underground tunnel, both blindfolded. They were holding hands again, and Hinata was keeping an eye out with her Byakugan. They were being pushed along by that same ninja, and he wasn't being too gentle about it.

"Hey, calm down." Naruto said. "It's not like we're enemy, or resisting."

"What's your problem?"

"Naruto-kun, it's ok."

"No, it's not. Listen pal! Stop pushing her around, all right? Treat her with some respect!"

"Yeah, and who is going to make me?" Naruto focused inwardly a little bit, and the slightest aura of red chakra seeped out of him. He turned to the ninja, his eyes blazing red through the blindfold.

"I will." Naruto said, making his voice as harsh and angry as he could. The man stepped back several feet.

"Yeha, um, ok pal, calm down, just keep moving, alright? Turn right." Naruto turned back around, and the red chakra receded. Hinata squeezed his hand gently, smiling as she looked at the ground. Naruto smiled widely and suppressed a laugh.

"So what is the Land of Flame, anyway?"

"We are the people of the former Land of Fire that refuse to bow to Orochimaru and Jadokagakure!"

"Jadokagakure? The Village Hidden in Venom? What is his deal with snakes?"

"We don't know, but we aren't bowing to him, thus the secrecy."

"Right, so who is your leader, and are you a hidden village, or what?"

"We aren't a hidden village, to make that kind of proclamation would allow Orochimaru to find us too easily. Our leader is Ibiki Morino."

"Really? Ibiki is alive? Come on what are you waiting for, we need to get back sooner! Are there more Leaf Village Shinobi here?" Naruto began running down the hallway, practically dragging Hinata.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said.

"Not now, we have to find Ibiki!"

"Naruto-kun!"

"Can't it wait?!"

"NARUTO-KUN!" Hinata recoiled from her own shout more than Naruto did.

"WHAT?!" Naruto shouted back as he ran headlong into a wall. He slid back down to the ground, dazed.

"There is a wall there." Hinata said in her normal, quiet voice.

"Und you cudent vet ne noa doona?"

"What did he just say?" The other shinobi asked.

"He said 'And you couldn't let me know sooner?'" Hinata said smiling. She pulled Naruto's face away from the wall. It was covered with dirt. She helped him up, and he dusted himself off. "I tried, Naruto-kun."

"Sorry!" Naruto said with a laugh, one arm rubbing the back of his head.

"To answer your question, no. Ibiki is here alone from Konaha, he is training a lot of villagers in the shinobi arts. But, we are here. You can take your blindfolds off." They did, and they looked around the corner. What they saw in the next room was some 100 villagers training, under the stern gaze of Ibiki Morino.

"So, Naruto, you managed to escape the destruction, eh?" Ibiki asked as they walked casually through the tunnels later that day.

"Yeah, so did Sasuke, Lee, Shikimaru, Chouji, Ino, well sort of…and Hinata. Jiraiya made it out as well, as far as we can tell, that's it."

"Well that's good, that couldn't have been easy. What are your plans now, and where are the others?"

"We are gathering support from as many lands and villages as we can, and then we are going to take down Orochimaru. I think Shikimaru wants to form a new village."

"A new village, hmm? Interesting. We are on board one hundred percent. I will continue doing as I am now, training new villagers. When you get new followers, send them here. I'll train them."

"Thanks, Ibiki. I'm glad we aren't alone in this whole thing."

"Thank you very much, Ibiki sensei." Hinata said with a bow.

"Good luck, Naruto. You'll need it." Naruto nodded, and then he left with Hinata.

"Here it is, the Great Naruto Bridge!" Naruto shouted as the floated across the foggy water on the small skiff. That same rower just smiled as he pushed the tiny boat under the bridge. "So there we were, me and Sasuke, trapped in Haku's Crystal Ice Mirrors technique! Sasuke was acting really weird, but he kept asking me to use my shadow clones, and so I kept going!"

"Naruto-kun, you've already told me the story." Hinata said smiling.

"Oh, did I? Oh well." Naruto beamed proudly.

"We're here, Naruto!" the rower said, as the skiff pushed onto earth. Naruto jumped off the boat, and held a hand out Hinata. She took it, and he pulled her onto land. She tripped slightly, falling forward, and Naruto caught her, smiling and laughing as he embraced her in a tight hug. They walked up a small hill, and before them they saw a massive crowd, led my Tazuna, his daughter, and her son, Inari. They all erupted in cheering, as they shouted and waved to Naruto. Tazuna strode forward, and placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders.

"Naruto! Welcome to the Land of Waves! What brings you here?" Naruto smiled.

"I wish it was good news, but I have come to ask for help, from your village."

"Naruto, you can join us for dinner tonight, and tell us all about it." Tsunami said as she smiled, and pointed to her home.

Later that night, after Naruto had elaborated on the escape, Inari stood up at the table.

"I'll help you, Naruto! I've been training to become a ninja ever since you left!"

"Thanks, Inari! I have a friend who has offered to train anybody that's willing to help!"

"Naruto, you saved our village in our time of need, and now, the Land of Waves will repay the favor, and our debt to you will be repaid!" Tazuna said. "Don't you worry about it, just leave the location of your friend, and all who will volunteer will be sent to become ninjas, and reclaim Konaha from the clutches of this Orochimaru!!"

"Thanks, Tazuna. I appreciate your help. I'd love to stick around, but we have a lot of ground to cover, and not anywhere near enough time."

"Naruto, just stay the night, get a good sleep, and maybe a bath, then tomorrow you can set out onto the road." Tsunami said with a smile.

"Lord Orochimaru, you summoned me?" A tall, well-groomed blond boy, perhaps 15, stood next to the throne. He had two red dots on his forehead, just above his eyes, and wore the attire of the sound five.

"Yes, Kimimaro, I recquire your assistance."

"Of course, my lord. How can I be of assistance?"

"I have several new prospects here, and of the four, I want you to train three of them, and I will train the last myself."

"Of course, Lord Orochimaru. I live only to serve you."

"Thank you, Kimimaro."

"Where are they, my lord?"

"Come this way, Kimimaro, and I will show you." They walked through long, dank, underground corridors, and winding caverns. Orochimaru waved a hand over a lock, and the blue glow that had been over it vanished. He pulled the door open, and inside, four children sat on the floor. "The two girls, and the boy with glasses, will be in your charge, Kimimaro." Orochimaru walked into the room, and one of the children stood up, the one with a blue scarf. He looked directly at Orochimaru.

"Lord Orochimaru, I recall bringing three of these children in, but the black haired girl is unfamiliar to me. Who is she?"

"The girl has a very powerful kekkai-genkai, Kimimaro. While not likely as useful as a host, she will be extremely powerful as a servant."

"Another kekkai genkai, my lord?"

"Yes, the legacy of the Hyuga clan, the Byakugan."

"I see, my lord. A lucky find indeed."

"So, my child, you have had much time to think, and I will ask you the question once more. Who was it that is responsible for the destruction of Konaha?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, and his demon fox." Konahamaru replied sullenly. His eyes appeared blank, but with a light touch of hatred.

"Very good, you will do well indeed."

I know! I'm sorry ( I'm an evil, sadistic jerk! But the oppurtunity for Orochimaru to prove himself a dispicable scumbag even further was too good to pass up! Please, review! Thanks for reading, and I hope you like it!

I'd like to thank PaulRap Raptor for suggesting the use of Hanabi Hyuga, though I don't think he had this in mind! I'll keep posting if you keep reviewing, so keep them coming!!


	12. Chapter 12 Jinchūriki of Lightning

Sorry, I know I know, I took a little longer to update, and i think ive made up for it with a decent length, and quality chapter. Some parts get pretty exciting, and there is at least one good shocker, for those of you that didn't see it coming! Enjoy!

Lee and Sasuke sat around a small fire the night after departing. The glow stretched to the edge of their camp, and for quite some time they both sat in silence.

"Sasuke." Lee said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I have a favor to ask of you, if it isn't too much trouble."

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Tsunade said I was fine, and fully recovered. My only concern is that she might not be completely true. If we go into a battle and take on a great deal of enemies, or powerful one, and I am not at my full strength, it could be very dangerous for us, if we took on the challenge thinking otherwise."

"What are you getting at?"

"I want to fight you, Sasuke. I want to make sure I am up to my full power."

"Alright." Sasuke stood up without hesitation.

"Do not hold back, Sasuke. Fight me as you would any enemy, and only stop if I say so." Sasuke just nodded. Lee stood and bowed, then settled into his stance, with his left arm folded behind his back, his right arm partially extended, palm open and facing up. He grinned. "Let us begin, then." Sasuke leapt up and back, turning a 360 in midair, and flipping upside down, then formed hand signs.

"Fire Style! Pheonix Fire Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, summoning a dozen or more tiny balls of fire, launching them in a wide arc. Lee stood his ground as they all began to turn inward and converge upon him. Lee dashed backwards, sliding along the ground with one knee raised, his back still straight. The balls of fire did not strike each other, but rather continued their path towards Lee. He halted his movement, and then dashed forward, running low, with his arms held straight back. The flames began to converge once more, so Lee rolled below them, and then stood up immediately, running for Sasuke. He dropped low, sliding along the earth for the last few feet, kicking out at Sasuke's feet. Sasuke leapt upward. Lee pushed himself off the ground and followed.

"Fire Style! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, finishing the hand signs, and the massive orange sphere shot downward. Sasuke looked downward grimly, hoping Lee had dodged.

_This is not good! I cannot change direction and I am heading straight for his fireball! _Lee thought as he moved upward. _Wait, what is this odd feeling? I have never felt it before…_ Lee flashed back to his days at the academy.

"Alright, children, one of the most basic ninja skills is being able to focus your chakra! Now, place your hands together, like this, and focus inward! Draw upon your natural reserves, and force it outward!" Iruka sensei said. Neji had been a natural, of course. Seconds, if that. Lee struggled; he couldn't get it to work.

"Iruka sensei, how will I know when I have focused my chakra?" Lee asked later that day.

"It will feel sort of like blood pumping, but at an extremely high rate, and it will tingle, as if your arm was asleep."

"I see. I do not get that feeling at all when I try."

"You will get it someday, Lee, trust me. Everyone does." Iruka smiled.

Lee flashed back, he could feel the feeling Iruka had described, and it was all going towards his leg, his foot, specifically. It wasn't much, but it was definitely there.

Sasuke watched as the fireball continued downward. He couldn't see Lee anywhere. _There is no way that hit Lee. He's much too quick. Unless, his wounds acted up, and he couldn't move! Damnit! _Sasuke slowly fell as he watched the fireball continue down. Then, something odd happened. The fireball stopped moving downward, and then, even more odd, it started moving back towards Sasuke. Suddenly, the fireball exploded and the flames shot out in all directions. Lee burst through the flames, foot first; shiny, metallic looking foot first. _What the hell?_

"Since when can you use jutsu?" He cried.

"I cannot, Sasuke. This is not a jutsu, nor do I know any." His foot connected with Sasuke's stomach. He was launched further into the air, and Lee continued upwards. He rolled over in midair, connecting with Sasuke's stomach once more, and sending him earthward. Sasuke managed to roll over and land on his hands and feet, and then hopping to the side as Lee struck the earth next to him.

"No jutsu, huh? Then what do you call that?" Sasuke said, nodding his head towards Lee's foot.

"It was a technique Gai sensei once used, and until now I could not. I think that the surgery…did more than heal my bones. I do not think I could perform jutsu, but I think I can focus and channel my chakra, like I just did."

"That was some surgery. When you kicked me, it was definitely harder than flesh and bone."

"I will have to thank her again sometime soon." Lee said with a smile. He offered a hand to Sasuke, and pulled him to his feet.

"Wait, I'm sorry, you want what?" A ninja dressed in dark clothes with embroidered yellow fringes asked. He wore a headband with two symbols on it, one a small oval, above and to the left of two long ovals connected at the ends. It was the next day around noon, and they were at the bottom of a mountain that led up to Kumogakure, the village hidden in the clouds.

"We want to have a meeting with the Raikage, if we could." Sasuke asked.

"And what, exactly, is the purpose of this meeting?"

"That is our business." Sasuke commented flatly.

"I don't know that I can let you kids in to see the Raikage. He's a busy man."

"Then make an appointment for us, that should not be a problem, correct?" Lee asked with a smile. "We can pay for the appointment, if necessary."

"Alright, I suppose I can try to make an appointment for you but I can't promise you anything."

A few hours later, after Sasuke and Lee had climbed the mountain, they stood outside the Raikage's palace, the dense fog that they had become accustomed too swirling around them. It was difficult to see very far.

"Good evening, Sasuke Uchiha, and Rock Lee." A young blonde girl walked out of the mist and up to the pair. She had a single, long braid down her back, a large portion of it covered by some sort of binding, except the end. Her clothing was black and white, and she wore the headband of a cloud ninja.

"Good evening!" Lee said excitedly. "Normally I would introduce myself, but clearly that isn't necessary. Who are you?"

"I am Yugito Nii. Introductions are made." Sasuke looked at Lee, then back to her.

_What's her problem?_ Sasuke was thinking. The three stood there in silence for a short while.

"Is there a reason you have come here?" Lee asked.

"To discover the reason you have come here."

"Leave them alone, Yugito." A tall, thin man with long blonde hair, in a fashion similar to Neji's, and a very thorough five-o-clock shadow said as he too walked out of the mist. They stood on opposite sides of the pair of Leaf Ninja.

"I am not harming them, Raiden."

A very quiet, malevolent voice seeped out from Raiden's direction. "I smell…the snake on you."

"Who is that?" Lee asked.

"Do not mind him. He is…harmless." Raiden seemed to look inwardly. "Be quiet, Raijuu."

"Who's Raijuu?" Sasuke asked.

"It doesn't concern you, he can do you no harm, nor will Yugito or I."

"I only intended to question them, Raiden." Yugito continued.

"You shouldn't have gone out alone, sister. You know who was spotted here yesterday." Raiden said sternly.

"I can take care of myself, Raiden! I do not need your aid."

"You must forgive my younger sister, she is impulsive. Please, follow me. I would like to speak with you in more comfortable surroundings." Raiden said, then slowly walked away. Lee and Sasuke shared a glance, and followed. Yugito hesitated, and then ran to catch up.

"Didn't Pein say to wait for somewhere in the neighborhood of three years before actually going after our target? We are only supposed to study her. You shouldn't go against his orders. Not to mention he will want to re-evaluate his plans now that the one-tailed beast is dead. " The man speaking wore the Akatsuki robes, a mask over the lower half of his head, a waterfall headband with a scratch through it, and had white, pupiless eyes. He stood behind a second man, who was kneeling, looking over a cliff at a young blonde girl running down a foggy street, chasing after three others.

"Shut up, Kakuzo. Your input or assistance is not needed. I can handle her myself." This man also wore the uniform, with slick white hair, a headband around his neck, and a massive three-bladed scythe at his back.

"Hidan, you cannot be so reckless. Listen to my advice for once in your miserable, unending life. I've been immortal a little longer than you have, you should be learning from me, not insulting me!"

"Be silent. I do not ask you to follow me, you blaspheming coward."

"We should wait until Pein has re-evaluated his plans." Kakuzo said. "And just because you follow your religion with blinding zealotry does not mean I have to."

"I will hand out the Judgment with or without you." Hidan stood up and began to walk down the cliff silently. Kakuzo rolled his eyes, scowled, then followed him down the cliff.

"You said someone had been spotted. Whom are you talking about, Raiden-san?" Lee asked Raiden as they sat in a comfortable apartment, drinking tea. Yugito stood while the other three sat.

"Akatsuki." Raiden replied flatly. He sat in a large easy chair, while Sasuke and Lee leaned forward, or sat up straight, respectively, on a large couch.

"Who is Akatsuki?" Sasuke asked.

"Not who, what."

"Alright, what is Akatsuki?" Sasuke said, a little annoyed.

"Akatsuki is an organization devoted to collected the nine-tailed beasts, for an unknown purpose. They wear robes, black with red borders, and different floral patterns for each member. Sasuke flashed back to his encounter with Itachi during the invasion. He had worn an outfit that matched that exact description, and so had Madara. Sasuke's expression changed drastically, from mere annoyance to sheer anger.

"Is there a problem, Sasuke?" Lee asked.

"No, it's nothing." Sasuke leaned back from his position with his elbows on his knees and hands clasped, into the couch.

"If you say so, Sasuke. Why would you be concerned about the Akatsuki?"

"My sister is the home of the two-tailed cat."

"That isn't the only reason, Raiden." Yugito sneered.

"Yugito, be silent."

"What does she mean?" Lee asked.

"She speaks of things she knows nothing about."

"Raiden is the container of the-" She was cut off as a massive three-bladed scythe spun violently through the window. Yugito ducked, and it went out the other side of the building. A rope that had been tied to its handle wrapped around Yugito's wrists and pulled her out after it. A white haired man in the Akatsuki robes leapt in through the window, landed briefly in the house, and leapt out the large hole his weapon had created.

"Hidan! You should have waited!" Kakuzo followed him in a similar fashion. Lee and Sasuke rushed to the window. Looking out, they saw the house sat on the edge of a massive cliff, the bottom of which was completely concealed by the fog.

"Lightning Teleportation Jutsu!" They heard Raiden shout, and a lightning bolt crashed through another part of the wall, then arched straight downward towards the falling trio.

"Sasuke! We need to help! I do not know what they will do, but we cannot allow it!"

"Unless you have a brilliant idea about how to survive the fall, I don't see what we can do!"

"We must climb down the mountain, even if we arrive too late to save her, perhaps we can prevent them from escaping!" Lee said as he climbed out the window and started scaling the mountain downwards, head first. Sasuke put a foot on the windowsill, and then looked straight outwards, as if he had had an epiphany. He stepped back into the room, and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he dropped to his knees, and grasped his head with both hands. The curse mark flowed over his neck, and he struggled to leap out the window, attempting to prevent himself from destroying more of Raiden's apartment when the wings grew. He convulsed in midair, twisting in turning in pain, tossing head over heels, when the wings suddenly burst out from his back, their black feathers a stark contrast to the gray fog. He folded them tightly against his back, and rocketed downward. He came up on Lee, and soared close to the mountain. He grasped Lee's shirt, then aimed away from the mountain a safe distance, before continuing the direct descent.

"Good idea, Sasuke!" Lee shouted as he saw the wings, as well as Sasuke's white hair.

"Raiden!" Yugito shouted. She was helpless, her wrists bound, so she was unable to perform jutsu. Her voice was lost in the fall before even Hidan could hear her. He was falling, his arms and feet straight back for better aerodynamics, and a wicked grin crossed his face. She could just barely make out another figure dropping higher up than them, until she saw Raiden's jutsu flashing past them. He appeared next to her, and untied her bonds.

"Floating Cloud Jutsu!" He cried, and a solid cloud formed from the fog around him. He and Yugito landed on it softly, and it moved away from the mountain. Hidan grimaced as he flew past them, and Kakuzo scoffed. "Are you alright, Yugito?" Raiden asked, and she nodded, before practically jumping into his arms. He held her tight against him, before looking over the edge of his cloud. He retracted his head quickly to narrowly avoid that massive spinning scythe. Hidan held onto the rope, and as he passed the cloud, he snapped out with his right foot, catching Raiden in the jaw. Raiden fell backwards off his cloud, and Yugito screamed. Hidan let go of his scythe, and landed on the cloud, grinning at Yugito. A burst of lightning shot through the cloud, tossing Hidan upwards. The flash illuminated a plateau just over 100 feet below the cloud, where Raiden and Kakuzo had landed. Kakuzo had yet to make a move against Raiden, and Raiden was just fine with that.

Sasuke spun in air to avoid the scythe, and then again as it came back down, before letting his wings slow his fall, to land on the cloud.

"Yugito, are you ok?" Lee asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Raiden is the one fighting." Hidan fell past them now, angrily rocketing towards Raiden. He landed on the plateau with a crash, and a small crater formed around his feet. He shook off his legs, before cracking his knuckles, and then his neck.

"I haven't fought in a while. It might be amusing to thrash a worm like you."

"A worm, huh? We will see about that!" Raiden drew a kunai, and rushed at Hidan. He swiped downward, and Hidan sidestepped wide. Raiden threw it sideways, hard, at Hidan, and it burst into a bolt of lightning. He dodged again, the bolt catching some of his wide, flowing robes.

"Why…do I smell the snake on these men too? So long it has been since I tasted that vile scent, and so long have I wished for revenge."

"Quiet, Raijuu! If you are not aiding me, then you are of no use!" Raiden stopped, formed several handsigns, and straightened his arms out at Hidan. "Lightning Shuriken Jutsu!" He shouted, and dozens of golden, lightning bolt shaped shuriken shot from his hands. Hidan accepted the blows happily, smiling as the attack finished. "What are you?" Raiden asked, noting that two had hit his neck, one his heart, while the others had buried into his chest and stomach.

"Above your level." Hidan smiled, and held a hand out. His scythe dropped from the sky, landing in his hand. He grinned once more, and rushed at Raiden.

"Raiden!" The other three shouted as the hit the ground shortly after. Yugito ran over to aid him, but Kakuzo intercepted her.

"I wouldn't try to stop his fight, if I were you. He is my partner, and he doesn't even let me help him." Kakuzo said with a sigh.

"You do not have a choice!" Lee shouted. "I do not know your purpose here, but we will not allow you to kidnap Yugito!"

"I have no interest in doing it right now, this was Hidan's idea. I won't help him kidnap her, but I won't let you interrupt his battle."

"Back off, and get out of the way." Sasuke said, as he dropped his right arm, grasping his forearm with his left hand. "Chidori!" He grinned as the typically lightning attack glowed black, and its size was doubled thanks to his 'curse mark'. "Get out of the way and I won't kill you."

"You couldn't kill me if I let you, little boy. Keep your nose out of the affairs of adults."

"I'll show you little boy…" Sasuke shouted as he roared, then charged Kakuzo.

"Don't waste my time and energy, boy." He rushed towards Sasuke, and put a hand on his head before forcing him downward. Sasuke's leg connected with Kakuzo's stomach, and he leaned forward. Sasuke rolled, jumped into the air, and then flipped over while turning around. He drove the chidori into Kakuzo's back, elbow deep.

"You're done, little boy." Sasuke said with much contempt. He pulled his arm out, and Kakuzo stood hunched over. A burst formed inside Kakuzo's cloak, and something shot out of his robes.

"I underestimated you, child. I suppose Orochimaru is still cursing his disciples, isn't he?"

"How did you…" Sasuke wasn't sure to end the sentence with 'live' or 'know', but that didn't stop him from continuing.

"Fire Style! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" he shouted, finishing the hand signs before enveloping Kakuzo in flames. "Lee, Yugito! Help Raiden!"

"I don't need any help, Yugito. Get back!" He ducked under a sideways toss of the scythe, before dropping to all fours.

"What, are you tired?" Hidan taunted.

"No, this is a little technique Yugito and I developed to deal with our…unique…situation." He seemed to lengthen his body, and his legs got shorter. Six flowing tails in the shape of lightning bolts sprouted from his backside, and his face and muzzle extended. He had taken on the appearance of a large, golden weasel, with six tails.

"The six tailed beast? It's not possible!" Hidan shouted.

"I told you to be more careful, Hidan. We should have researched the situation before attacking. Idiot…We can't defeat two of the tailed beasts at once, especially if they have any amount of control over their…cargo."

"Be silent, you arrogant piece of shit!" Hidan said remorselessly. "We are done here. Luckily for you, 'Raiden', I have not yet sworn to kill either of you." Hidan stepped backwards, to the edge of the cliff, before smiling, waving, and falling backwards.

Kakuzo sighed, and leapt off the cliff, following him down.

"Raiden!" Yugito shouted as she ran to embrace him. He had retaken his human shape, and hugged her.

"Are you alright, Raiden?" Lee asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go back home, Yugito." Raiden stood in the center of the group, before performing his lightning teleportation once more, transporting them all to the top of the cliff.

"So, this Orochimaru destroyed your home village, did he?" Raiden asked back in the apartment.

"That is correct." Lee replied. "Many great shinobi gave their lives to get the few of us out that did survive. As far as we know, we number seven in total."

"Eight, or even nine, depending on how you look at it, Lee." Sasuke said.

"Care to explain?" Raiden asked.

"Not really." Sasuke commented.

"One of our group comes from a clan with the ability to take over another person's mind. Currently, she is trapped inside the mind of another of our group. Other then that, a woman named Tsunade is technically affiliated with the Leaf Village, but here whereabouts are not known.

"I see. I hear you requested an audience with my father."

"Your father is the Raikage?" Sasuke asked.

"That is correct, which is the simplest explanation of why both his children are Jinchūriki. Most of the villages ended up creating the Jinchūriki for use in the great shinobi wars. Our father was so devoted to his father, the third Raikage, who had no children on the way of his own, that he gave us up for the cause. I was given up first, and the six-tailed weasel, Raijuu, was sealed inside me. My sister came a few years later, and my father offered her as well, as they had recently captured the two-tailed cat, Nekomata. He is now the Raikage, based upon his "selfless sacrifices" to the village. Those men that attacked us didn't seem to realize that there were two Jinchūriki in this village."

"I understand, that is quite troubling. A friend of ours is…or was, similar to you." Lee said.

"Really? I was under the impression that the Leaf Village refused to take part in this quest for further power."

"That is correct, his demon was sealed to save our village from its power."

"I understand, which of the demons did he hold, and why did you say 'was'?"

"The Nine-tailed Fox, Kyuubi." Raiden and Yugito's eyes grew wide at this. "Is something wrong?" Lee asked.

"No, it's nothing."

"Why do they smell of the snake, Raiden?"

"In a moment, Raijuu. Please, answer my other question."

"Oh, of course, Raiden-san. I said 'was' because during the invasion, he became extremely angry, and from what we can tell, and from what someone told us, he is less a prison, and more a jailer."

"Remarkable. Do you mean to tell me he has full access to the fox's power?"

"From what we can tell, he can control it, and it flares up on it's own, when he's angry." Sasuke commented. "Why does your demon think we smell like snake?"

"Ah, my apologies for keeping you in the dark. You see, when the demons walked the earth freely, many engaged in battles. Raijuu lost to the eight-tailed beast, Yamato no Orochi, for which he bears a great hatred. He seems to think this "Orochimaru" you mentioned, reminds him of his old enemy. He also seems to think that you smell of that demon."

"I do not THINK it, Raiden, I know." The demon's voice resonated from Raiden.

"Regardless. You have my full support, Rock Lee, and Sasuke Uchiha. Your meeting with my father is unnecessary, I assure you, when the time comes, Kumogakure will be at your side." Raiden stood and offered a hand to Lee, who took it eagerly, and then Sasuke, who took it without any apparent emotion.

"Thank you, Raiden!" Lee shouted.

"I would also like to join you two, in your quest to garner additional aid for your cause."

"I want to come as well." Yugito blurted out. Raiden and Lee smiled.

"You are most welcome! Sasuke and I would be happy to have you!" Lee shouted as he jumped for joy.

"Lady Kazekage, our scouts have reported something odd."

"What is it?" The young woman retorted, slightly irritated.

"Two ninja bearing the Hidden Leaf Village's headband are approaching, using the main road."

"So?"

"Well, we thought you should be informed, considering we did recently aid in the invasion and destruction of their home village."

"We were tricked. We have nothing to hide, and they will be welcomed. Do you know who they are, or at least what they look like?"

"One is a portly fellow, in green, with odd spiral tattoos on his cheeks. Chouji Akimichi, if our intelligence is correct."

"And the other?"

"He was easier to identify, being that he fought in the final round of the chunin exams."

"Just get to the point and tell me."

"My apologies, but it is relevant, in case you didn't remember, the two of you fought in the chunin exams. His name is Shikamaru Nara." Temari's eyes went wide, but then regained her composure.

"Get a room ready, have it paid for when they get here, and make sure I am the first to know they've arrived. Clear the day of their arrival of any meetings or other important events I was to attend. Don't ask questions, just do it."

"Lord Orochimaru, they have made impressive progress in their respective fields." Kimimaro reported as he stood on a balcony with Orochimaru.

"Good, good. Are they ready for the second level of the curse mark yet?"

"That is for you to decide my lord, but I believe so, yes. If they are not, they certainly will be soon."

"Excellent. Very soon, they will be ready to go after the survivors, and then my victory over Konaha and Sarutobi will be truly complete." Orochimaru smiled, and then walked away, laughing maliciously.

Thanks for reading! PLEASE review, even if its just to say "well done" or "update soon" or "omg i love your story bear my children" though that last one is kinda weird. I just love getting the feedback, and I'd like to hit 100 reviews sometime soon! The more reviews, the faster I update! Trust me, incentive helps!

Yours truly,

Sparky61390

p.s. Also, i thought i was including breaks in the pages, to indicate a change in scene, but apparently, while i had them in the word document, it was removing them here. I've added them this time AFTER placing it as a document, hopefully it will work, and make it easier to read. My apologies!


	13. Chapter 13 Your Answer

Here we are, chapter 13! Sorry about the significant delay since the last chapter! See we have this thing called Portcon here in Maine, hehe, its basically a giant nerd fest. That was my entire weekend, and i wrote most of this chapter earlier today, but anywho! For Naru/Hina fans, I'm sorry, but the next chapter is back to them! I know you all want to see the encounter at the village hidden in the sand! This chapter has just about zero combat, but i will try to make it up to you in the next chapter! Enjoy!

"So, you've been awfully quiet, Chouji. I'm guessing you figured out how to keep your conversations with Ino inside your own head, huh?" Shikamaru asked as they walked down the road towards Sunahagakure.

"Haha, yeah I guess I did." Chouji said as he rubbed the back of his head while he closed his eyes.

"How's that working for you?"

"Eh, it's alright." He said with a smile.

_Alright? It's ALRIGHT?! I thought we had something special, Chouji! What about all that stuff we talked about? _Ino pouted in the casual living room she had furbished inside Chouji's head.

_I still don't understand how you made a couch appear in my mind. _Chouji commented.

_It's easy, I just imagined it! And don't try to change the subject, mister! You shouldn't be embarrassed of your girlfriend! _Ino continued to berate Chouji. He sighed.

_I'm not, but it's different than someone who is physically there! If you think about it, I'm dating the voice in my head. _Chouji shrugged.

_Voice in your head, huh? I'll show you voice in your head! _Chouji's eyes went wide as she tackled him, and the real Chouji, standing next to Shikamaru, grimaced as Ino took control.

"Shikamaru! It's Ino, Chouji and I are getting marr-" She was cut off as Chouji wrestled for control.

_This is my body! You are a GUEST here! _

_I don't think so! Tell Shikamaru what is going on, or you are going to have a very unpleasant visit to the sand village!_

_What would you do to me?_

_Oh, you know, take over your body when you're talking to the Kazekage, and then just cause some general discomfort! _

_You wouldn't!_

_Oh, I so would._

"Shikamaru…" Chouji sighed.

"Yeah?" Shikamaru looked at him oddly. "This Chouji or Ino?"

"Chouji. Ino wanted me to tell you…that as soon as she gets a body…we were probably going to start…um, well you see, with all this time together, we've gotten kinda…"

"Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi." Kankuro said as he landed in the road.

"Kankuro? What do you want?" Shikamaru asked. Chouji breathed a sigh of relief.

"I want you to come with me. The Kazekage wants to speak with you."

"Yeah, sure."

"Temari is the Kazekage?" Shikamaru shouted as he walked into the Kazekage's chambers.

"Yes, I am, and why, exactly, is that so difficult to accept?" Temari asked.

"Yeah, no reason." Shikamaru said, with a light smile.

"Why are you guys here?" Kankuro interjected. He glared at his sister, and then at Shikamaru.

"Well, you guys invaded The Leaf Village. When I found out Orochimaru was posing as the Kazekage, I figured something had to be up. Nobody would take a missing-nin as their kage." Shikamaru said lazily.

"Well thought out." Temari said as she stood up from her chair. "For a Leaf Shinobi, anyway."

"Temari…" Konkuro warned. She smiled slyly.

"So, why else are you here?"

"Well, as you know, Orochimaru is responsible for destroying our village."

"I don't know anything about it. Konkuro and I took Gaara and left." Temari said angrily, and without hesitation after Shikamaru finished. "When we got here, we told the council that the kazekage was being imitated, and here we are. Gaara was the logical choice, but your friend killed him. Then they chose me."

"Anyway, he destroyed our village. There are less than 10 Leaf Shinobi alive, and we are going around to the other nations, seeking aid."

"Aid for what?"

"Getting back at Orochimaru."

"I'll think about it. You'll know by tomorrow. There are rooms for each of you." Temari said quietly as she left the room. Shikamaru stared blankly as she left.

"Well, that went well." Chouji said with a smile. Shikamaru sighed, and walked out. Chouji smiled, muttered a silent laugh to himself, and followed.

Shikamaru sat in the room given to him, a small, domed room, with sand colored walls and furniture. There was one window, and for the first time since he had arrived, there wasn't a sandstorm. He sat on his bed, legs crossed, hands in his thinking position, facing the window, but not looking out of it, thanks to his eyes being closed. There was a knock on the door, and he opened one eye.

"Come in." He turned to face the door, and put his feet on the floor.

"Are you enjoying the room?" Temari asked as she walked in.

"Are you enjoying your hat?" Shikamaru said with a slight grin. Temari glared at him, the large Kage's hat sitting awkwardly on her head. "Why did you come?"

"To speak with you, unless of course I'm not welcome."

"Take a seat." Temari sat down slowly, leveling her eyes with Shikamaru's.

"There is something different about your eyes. What happened during the invasion, that rattled you so badly?"

"Your eyes are different as well, you have rings around them. I didn't notice in your chambers, there was too much light. It's subtle, but it's there. Have you not been sleeping?"

"I've been sleeping fine, thank you. Feel free to answer my question."

"Orochimaru killed my father. That's all you need to know." He said flatly.

"I see. So I guess we are done here?"

"Unless you have anything else you'd like to talk about."

"Who else survived?"

"Well, there's me, Chouji, Ino, who happens to be trapped in Chouji's head." Shikamaru leaned his head back, to think. "Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha." Temari scowled at Sasuke's name. "Hinata Hyuga, and Rock Lee. Also, Jiraiya survived. You don't seem to be too fond of Sasuke."

"He killed my brother."

"Your ninja helped kill my father."

"That's different, we were misled."

"Is it all that different? One accidental, one misled." Shikamaru maintained a straight face.

"Anyway, there is one more thing, before I leave." Temari changed the subject hastily.

"Sure." Shikamaru answered with a brief smile. Temari waved a hand, and a table slid over, and from the sand in the ground, a board, and a number of round, flat pieces, formed on the board.

"Care for a game or two?" Temari smiled. Shikamaru settled into his thinking position.

Hours later, after dozens of games, mostly ties, the game fell into dust as Temari stood up.

"Well, it's been fun, but I should leave."

"You aren't tired of losing, are you?" Shikamaru asked with a smile.

"You're ahead by one game." Temari said with a bit of attitude. Shikamaru stood up, and walked over to the door. He opened it.

"I'm glad you stopped by." Shikamaru smiled as she walked past him. She stopped suddenly, and turned to face him.

"I'm glad I did too." She said quietly, as she leaned over, ever so slightly, and kissed him briefly. He stood, transfixed, with a blank stare, as she left.

"Shikamaru Nara, the Kazekage has requested your presence in the center of the village, as soon as possible." Kankuro shouted the next morning, as he stood outside Shikamaru's room. He was already awake, and walked out soon after. Chouji was standing behind him, and smiled as his friend walked out. "Follow me." Konkuro began to walk away. They walked over a small rise, and saw Temari standing at the top, with a number of council members. As they walked over the rise, they saw a massive number of sand shinobi, and townsfolks gathered in the center. Just as they saw him, they all dropped to one knee, bowing.

"What is this?" Shikamaru asked as he walked next to Temari.

"Your answer." Temari said with a smile. Shikamaru nodded.

"Pein, what is our next move? The one-tailed beast is dead." Zetsu reported dutifully.

"It is not dead, it cannot be killed, except by another tailed beast." Pein replied angrily.

"Where is it?"

"They have a tendency, when their host is killed, to seep into a nearby person, or vessel, something to contain them. Whoever was nearby, when the vessel was killed, or shortly thereafter, is likely the new vessel. Figure that out, and we have our new Jinchūriki."

"They are progressing at an astounding rate, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto reported. "Especially Sarutobi's grandson."

"That should go without saying. While he doesn't have a kekkai-genkai, his grandfather was quite the warrior in his youth, and the same goes for his father. He defeated the first hokage and two of my sound five, in one fight. He will turn out wonderfully." Orochimaru watched over the ledge as Konahamaru trained. "Boy, be a dear and show Kabuto our new technique." Konahamaru nodded, with an angry look in his eyes, it seemed perpetual lately. He formed a few hand signs, and his body became sheathed in fire, shedding light on the dark room. He waved a hand, and the lone torch in the room went out, it's own flame shooting over to absorb into Konahamaru's body. He walked over to the torch once more, and held his hand close to it, and it lit up instantly. He threw several small balls of fire, whipping them around the room, controlling them all simultaneously. The spheres stopped moving, his body extinguished, and he fell to his knees, breathing heavily. "Well done, my child, well done." Orochimaru stood up and smiled. "How is Kimimaro coming, with the other children?"

"Extremely well. You should note, that the Hyuga girl had a very odd reaction to the curse mark."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, now that she has control of the second stage of the curse mark, she has sprouted a third eye whenever she uses it. She won't tell us what it does, she rarely speaks at all."

"Interesting, very interesting. Leave her be for now, tell Kimimaro to continue, his work is appreciated."

"Yes, my lord." Kabuto went to leave, then paused. "My lord, the battle for the destruction of Konaha was a victory, may I ask why you are rushing the training of these children so much?"

"My dear, Kabuto, several leaf ninja escaped. A minor inconvenience at best, but I intend to hunt them down and destroy them."

"I see." Kabuto adjusted his glasses, and left.

Alright! Did you enjoy it? Feel free to tell me in a review! I know, it was short, it wasn't all that exciting, but plot is necessary! See you guys soon!


	14. Chapter 14 Disappointment

Alright, I know, it's been a while since the last chapter...But anyway, Naru/Hina fans rejoice! They are back! And NO, they aren't going to do that anytime soon! They are friggen 12, guys! Come on...Ewwww...Alright, well this one should be alright. Enjoy!

Naruto and Hinata walked down a mist-strewn road, headed towards the obviously named Village Hidden in the Mist. They held hands, as they had whenever they had been alone since the night Jiraiya had been with them. Hinata wasn't blushing, and she didn't seem sheepish about it at all. Naruto just grinned slightly, but tried to keep his smile hidden from Hinata.

"Hinata, there is something you should know about the Village Hidden in the Mist."

"Yeah, what is it?"

"They aren't very fond of kekkai-genkai abilities, so you can't use your byakugan while we're inside the village. They would probably kick us out, if not try to kill you."

"Alright, I'll do what I can." Hinata smiled, and looked at Naruto. "I think they would have their work cut out for them, if they wanted to hurt me, especially since I perfected my defense technique."

"They wouldn't get within a mile of you, Hinata."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'd beat them into the ground before they knew what happened."

"Naruto-kun, you don't need to protect me. We've talked about this."

"I know, but it doesn't change anything. I don't need to, I want to."

"Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled, and laughed a bit as she leaned into him.

"I've already lost plenty that is precious to me, I don't intend to lose anymore."

_Loss brought us together, boy, do not forget the day on the bridge. It was the loss of your best friend that weakened the cage, and let part of me free. Now that the cage is broken completely, there is nothing that can stand in the way of our…your power. All you have to do is use it. _Kyuubi whispered into Naruto's mind, his influence over the child a fragment of what it once was. He lay in wait, praying that Naruto would attempt to access the full power of the Nine-tailed beast's chakra, and then he would be free at last. _Loss brings you strength, it brings you power. Use it._

_If I stood to lose nothing I wouldn't need the power, and I don't feel like losing anything, except perhaps you. _Naruto retorted.

_Don't for a moment think I would like anything better, boy. _Kyuubi's voice was harsh and scathing with the word 'boy', and Naruto shut out his voice.

"Is something wrong?" Hinata asked, her eyes full of concern.

"No, it's fine. He doesn't have any power over me anymore. I'm one of the few people that can say he battled his inner demons and won." Hinata smiled with Naruto's analogy, and they continued walking through the mist. His hair began to flatten and sag, as the mist got thicker and wetter, dampening everything that passed through it. Hinata, reached up and playfully ruffled his hair, and Naruto accepted it with a smile. He relinquished his grip on her hand to wrap his arm around her body, pulling her closer. She didn't hesitate to return the embrace.

"Who are you and why are you in our lands?" A mist shinobi stood at the gate, barring the way into the village.

"I want a word with the Mizukage."

"Why should I just let you in? How do I know you aren't an assassin sent from a different village?"

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, my father was Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, which was recently destroyed. I am here to request aid in a retaliation effort against Orochimaru, the ninja who orchestrated the attack."

"I'll see what I can do." The shinobi said with contempt. "In the meantime, you can come into the village, but stay out of trouble. Anything happens, and I'm kicking you out."

"Thank you very much." Hinata said with a bow. The gate was opened, and they walked into the village slowly. "What should we do while we wait?"

"You should take my jacket, you're shivering." Hinata hadn't thought about it, but she was cold. Naruto slipped off his orange jacket and handed it to Hinata. She took it with a slight smile.

"So, we are actually going to go through with it this time, instead of waiting, plotting, moving in the shadows?"

"Yes, we can't allow him to get any stronger. If he gets too much in tune with the fox, we would need the entirety of Akatsuki to bring him down."

"Sounds like fun to me. Any specific game plan, or should we just fly in swinging?"

"Ignore the girl. Her only power lies in her kekkai-genkai, without it, she is nothing. She can't use it here or they will kill her."

"What about your sharingan, aren't you in the same situation?"

"Let them try and kill me." Itachi said, his demeanor remaining stiff and emotionless. "Let's go."

Naruto and Hinata sat in a small shop, out of the rain that had just started. Hinata still wore Naruto's jacket loosely over her shoulders, and they sat in a booth, leaning against each other comfortably, listening to the rain.

"So, you've moved on so quickly then?" A voice came from overhead, and Naruto glanced upward. He saw a shadowy figure.

"What did you say?"

"By your reaction in Konaha, I can only imagine that the girl I killed was your woman. She couldn't have been Sasuke's, he hates far too much to love. But I suppose none of that matters, considering you've already moved on."

"You." Naruto glared upward, and leapt out of the booth. "You won't escape this time, you monster! YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO SAKURA!" Naruto screamed, rushing at Itachi. Hinata stood up, and Kisame blocked her way.

"I wouldn't get involved, little girl. You and I both know you are nothing without your kekkai-genkai. You would only get in his way." He smiled a toothy grin, and dashed away.

Naruto ran forward as Itachi flew back, practically sliding across the damp ground. The rain was a full downpour, and they were both soaked in seconds.

"You must not have cared about her much at all, if this is as hard as you are willing to try." Naruto growled, and brought a clone to his side as he ran.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He shouted, and then began forming a rasengan, at a full run.

"There it is. I want you dead, but I don't want this fight to be boring. Don't hold back." Kisame had joined the chase, unknown to Naruto, and he hovered dangerously close to being within range of his massive sword. Hinata had begun to follow, even knowing she couldn't use her byakugan.

"Naruto! Watch out, he's behind you!" She screamed as Kisame drew his sword. Naruto's clone turned and leapt in one fluid motion, flying at Kisame. Kisame brought his sword around, and slashed through the clone. It dissipated, and the smoke drew into Kisame's sword. Naruto leapt, spun a one hundred eighty degree turn in midair, and then clasped his hands together.

"Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" He shouted angrily before completing his circle, landing then continuing his pursuit of Itachi. Hundreds of clones dropped from the air, and appeared from the street, and they leapt at Kisame.

"Samehada, time to feed." Kisame whispered, and the bandages flew off the blade as he begun to swing his sword in violent archs, slicing through dozens of Narutos at a time. The swarm had it's desired effect, however, and Kisame had to stop running, which left Naruto alone with Itachi.

"Stop running, coward! You came here, you wanted to fight, so fight me!"

_He is too fast, boy. Use it, use your power. _

_No!_

"If you can't catch me running, then what makes you think you can catch me in a fight?" Itachi disappeared and reappeared next to Naruto, running backwards, parallel to him. "You couldn't defend her, she is dead because of you."

"That's not true! She died because of you!"

"Do you really believe that? Are you sure you don't blame yourself for her death?" Naruto whipped around with a left backhand, and Itachi ducked. Naruto continued his spin, and aimed the Rasengan for Itachi's head. He disappeared. "Too slow." He said as he reappeared on Naruto's other side. He had stopped running, and stood still, facing the enraged Naruto.

"You killed her. It isn't my fault, it's yours! And you're going to pay for what you did to her, and to Konaha!"

"I didn't do anything to Konaha, all I did that day was save Sasuke's life on several occasions, and kill your friend, Sakura. Quite easily, I might add."

"You killed Sakura in cold blood! Fight me, coward!"

"You know, I might have to just kill your new girlfriend too, if you aren't going to take this seriously."

"If you touch Hinata, I'll kill you." Naruto growled.

"Your friend has quite the temper, doesn't he?" Kisame stood next to Hinata as the two watched Itachi lazily dodge Naruto's attacks.

"Oh, Naruto…"

"Fine, if you aren't going to put any effort into this." Itachi disappeared, and then reappeared with a knife at Hinata's throat. "I guess she'll just have to die." He pushed the knife towards Hinata's throat, and then flew sideways awkwardly. Naruto stood there, his right fist all the way forward, balancing on one foot. His body was sheathed in the red chakra, and the fangs, claws, and tail were apparent.

_Well done, Naruto…Use your fury, use the strength in loss._

"There you are." Itachi landed on his feet, and stood up straight. He reached his hand through his jacket and began to unbutton the jacket, one by one. "Kisame, go ahead." Kisame grinned a toothy grin, and swung his sword violently at Naruto. Red chakra still sheathing his body, Naruto caught the sword with one hand, an untangible barrier of chakra between his flesh and the blade.

"Don't test me." Naruto growled, and he punched out at Kisame, falling several feet short, but a massive, red, clawed hand shot from his fist and enveloped Kisame, forcing him into a stone wall. Kisame held the sword in front of him, and had kept the claw at bay, but his back was against the stone.

"Kisame, if you aren't going to be of any use to me, stay out of the way." Itachi said flatly, and then disappeared, then reappeared next to Naruto, swinging out with a kunai. Naruto disappeared with speed to rival Itachi's, and then reappeared, kicking low at Itachi's feet as he slid along the ground. Itachi flipped into the air, throwing dozens of kunai straight down at Naruto. Naruto arched his back, looking up at Itachi, and roared, the air released from his lungs tossing the knives aside. Naruto leapt straight up, his right claw leading, and Itachi swerved narrowly around the attack. Four Narutos appeared in the air with him as the number of tails behind him tripled, and each clone struck at Itachi with fists or feet. Itachi blocked each attack simultaneously, one with each knee, as well as each fist. Naruto spun in midair, dropping his heel into Itachi's stomach, sending him earthward. Itachi rolled as he fell, and landed on one foot, two hands, and a knee. Naruto brought a rasengan into his right hand as he fell, shooting earthward. Itachi stood up slowly, and looked up to see Naruto bearing down on him. He went to move, and winced as if one of his legs was gravely injured. Kisame appeared in between the two, bringing his sword to bear, holding it against the onslaught of the rasengan. The sword held, slowing sucking in the chakra, as the rasengan began to shrink.

"Useless, am I, Itachi?" Kisame grinned, and then Naruto roared, and the rasengan took on a reddish hue. "Charge it all you want, Samehada feeds on chakra, brat!" The rasengan continued to shrink, for a moment, and then a sizeable crack appeared where the rasengan still spun against it furiously. Naruto's jutsu bolstered in size, and became a red to match the chakra that sheathed his body, and then the blade snapped into thousands of pieces.

"Now, you are useless." Itachi commented, and then rushed away. Naruto went to chase him, but Hinata placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto-kun, don't." Hinata's eyes were sad, and she shook her head. Naruto stopped, and the red chakra fell. Kisame slid away and disappeared into the mist.

"What happened here?" Several Mist shinobi appeared moments later, looking at the rubble on this particular stretch of street, particularly the wall Kisame had been thrown into.

"Nothing, it's been dealt with. I'd consider tightening your security, two rogue ninja got into your town, one of them a missing-nin from your own village." Naruto scoffed and began walking away.

"Hey, wait, you're that Uzumaki kid, right? The one who wanted to talk to the Mizukage?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"He said he'd see you whenever you're ready." Naruto nodded.

Hours later, Naruto and Hinata walked out of the Mizukage's home, Naruto with an angry scowl on his face.

"Naruto, you can't be mad at him for not wanting to fight against Orochimaru, he has to look out for what is best for his people."

"Damned coward! Didn't even thank me for helping fight Zabuza and Haku, or Kisame and Itachi just today! Let's just get out of here, Hinata. We need to get back and meet the others." Hinata nodded, knowing that she wouldn't convince Naruto to change his mind about the Mizukage. He usually listened to her, but when it came to this subject, she left it alone.

"Lord Orochimaru, I thought you should know, the girl without the kekkai-genkai, she has shown somewhat of an affinity for medical jutsu, and Kabuto has begun to handle her training, in the absence of any other tasks to occupy his time." Kimimaro reported. Orochimaru nodded.

"And the other two?"

"The Hyuga girl is by far stronger than the other two, the second level of her curse mark has displayed interesting side effects, beyond the third eye I reported to you before. The boy has shown little or no ability in taijutsu, but his genjutsu is well executed, and he has shown an affinity for a single ninjutsu. My lord, I believe my students are ready. There is little more I can teach them."

"That is all good to hear, I am glad my new pupils are excelling. Do not worry, Kimimaro, very soon they will be put to use."

"If it is not too much to ask, Lord Orochimaru, how is your new apprentice been faring?"

"Astoundingly well. While the similarities are annoying, he has shown the same attraction to earth and fire techniques as his grandfather, and he has become quite powerful. They will all be ready, very soon. Just as soon as their locations are known, the last survivors of Konaha will be destroyed, and my victory will be total." Kimimaro bowed, and left his lord to himself. Orochimaru grinned as he sat alone in the dark. "Sarutobi, you believed that so long as a single leaf shinobi opposed me, I could not take that which I deserved, and perhaps you were correct, but I will make certain that there are no leaf shinobi alive!"

"Master, we have discovered the new host of the one-tailed Shukaku." Zetsu reported, his white half speaking.

"Very good, Zetsu. Who is it?"

"The Kazekage of Sunahagakure. While previously it was thought she would be an inadequate choice for the position, we can surmise that the council of elders knew she was the new container, and for this reason, elected her to the position. She only seems to have a basic knowledge of the abilities it gives her, and rarely uses them."

"Very good, I appreciate you being thorough."

"Shall we move forward, then?"

"Of course. There is no need to slow our plans due to a minor setback. Continue as you have done."

"Very well. One last thing, master. Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki have returned from an unsuccessful mission to capture the Nine-tailed fox. Shall I reprimand them?"

"No. Send them to me."

"As you wish."

A few minutes later, Itachi and Kisame walked into the dark cavern to see Pein pacing.

"The Nine-tailed fox is the most powerful of the demons, of this I need not tell you. I could function without the one-tailed, perhaps, maybe even the two-tailed, but the Nine-tailed is absolutely essential, and yet you continue to fail."

"I did not fail. I accomplished exactly what I wished to accomplish. If you would speak of failure, talk to Kisame. I, on the other hand, have work to do."

"And what was it you wished to accomplish?"

"I tested the boy who is the host of the fox, gathering information."

"What were you testing for?"

"I was re-confirming that he was headstrong, and quick to anger. I was also testing his connection to the fox, he seems typically unwilling to release it, despite the fact that we know he could unleash it's power in its entirety if he wished."

"And what is the failure you speak of, on Kisame's part?"

"He attempted to interfere with my battle, and in doing so, he has lost all his usefulness to me, with his sword no longer in working order."

"Samehada is destroyed?"

"Yes, Master." Kisame replied, standing up straight, looking angrily at Itachi."

"How did this happen?"

"I did not realize it had a limit, but in attempting to shield Itachi from an attack, because he had made it seem that his leg was injured to fool the boy, it absorbed too much chakra, and exceeded it's limits. It shattered."

"I see, and what are you going to do about that?"

"I have hired a smith, after I collected the pieces. He is working with the blade."

"Very well. Get out of my site, both of you." The two missing-nin bowed and left.

Well? Well? Did you guys already see that coming? If you hadn't realized Temari was the new Jinkurichi, it's ok. Sasuke and Lee fans rejoice! You guys are up next, anyway, until next time! Read, review, enjoy!


	15. Chapter 15 The Underground Sea

Hey guys! I hope the speed of this update is more to your liking! I think i really nailed this one, its got action, a couple twists, no romance though, wait till Naru/Hina is back )

I like this one anyway, i hope you guys agree. Enjoy!

"So, we are going to the village hidden in the stone, right?" Sasuke asked Lee as the two packed up their things. They stood in Raiden's trashed apartment the night after the akatsuki had shown up to capture Yukito-Nii.

"That is correct." Lee answered as he tightened his bandages.

"Do you believe Shikamaru's reasoning for sending us here, and to Iwagakure?" Lee just smiled. "I think he ran out of reasons to send people to villages. I have just as much connection to the Land of Waves as Naruto does, I almost died there."

"Sasuke, you cannot compare yourself to Naruto. It will do nothing but instill discontent in your mind, and we need to work as a team."

"Yeah, I suppose." Sasuke sighed, and continued packing.

"Lee, Sasuke." Raiden said as he walked into the room. "I see you are leaving?"

"Yes, our mission here is complete. We are moving on to the land of earth." Lee said with a smile.

"I understand. I wish the two of you luck. We will be with you when you call on us."

"Would it be all right if we called upon you now?"

"What do you mean?"

"It would be our pleasure, to have you and your sister accompany us on our mission. Our friends would certainly enjoy your company as well!"

"I would be honored, and I'm glad you asked. I fear that the village would be in danger if we remained here, should those men come to attack us again. I will tell Yukito, she has been quite restless lately."

"That is terrific news!" Lee said excitedly.

"We will pack our things. Don't worry, we won't slow you down." Lee was ecstatic, Sasuke continued to not pay attention.

"So, this time, are we going to have a plan, or are you going to rush in without any warning?"

"This time, you will actually fight, you blaspheming coward. Any one of those fools would fall before the righteous wrath of Jashin."

"And yet you still failed."

"Two demons were present, I did not fail, I have merely delayed my plans."

"Fine, but the point is, we are going to fight as a team this time, right?"

"If Jashin wills."

"Listen, you self-centered zealot! You lost last time, against the six-tailed container, and he fought you alone. You need my help, like it or not."

"I need only faith in Jashin. Your greedy, blasphemic ways are not a necessary addition to this team. I can defeat them on my own."

"You arrogant fanatic! You need my help, and we are going to work together this time around!"

"If you should decide to fight, that's fine." Hidan put his scythe on his back.

"Idiot…" Kakuzu said under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Where are we going to blindly rush at them?"

"I was thinking an assault in the land of earth would be appropriate."

"Fine, they will be leaving soon, lets get a move on, we might as well get ahead of them if we can. They won't change their course."

"Alright, are we all set?" Sasuke asked as he looked over his shoulder to Lee, Raiden, and Yugito.

"I believe so. We are heading to Iwagakure, correct?" Raiden said.

"Yes, that is correct. Hopefully they will be as accommodating as you have been."

"It was my pleasure, Lee. It was the least we could do after you helped save Yugito." Lee smiled exuberantly.

"Can we just get going?" Sasuke remarked, and started walking down the steep, winding trail down from the mountain village.

All being skilled shinobi, they decided to take a shortcut, and simply run across the water to Iwagakure. It was a much more direct route, and much faster. It was also much wetter, and much more tiring. They barely made it to land before their chakra was nearly exhausted, and rested for the night.

"We could attack right now, they are asleep." Kakuzu remarked as he and Hidan lay back in a tree almost directly above the camp of the exhausted shinobi.

"Running across water for an entire day is tiring. While it puts them at a disadvantage, we share that."

"Not to mention neither of us is all that subtle, wed be lucky to kill one before the rest woke up."

The next day, it wasn't long before they reached Iwagakure, and stood at the massive stone watchtowers at the gates. As they walked up, Sasuke noted the two guards looking at them and having a hushed conversation.

"Leaf shinobi, and cloud shinobi, what is your business in Iwagakure?" One of the two guards asked.

"We would like to speak with the Tsuchikage, if that is alright."

"Yes of course. Hold on just a moment." He turned to the other guard, whispered something, and he ran off. He returned momentarily, not out of breath.

"The Tsuchikage will see you whenever you are ready." Sasuke and Lee shared suspicious glances, then shrugged, and went into the village. Raiden and Yugito followed close behind.

"Welcome, friends, what can I do for you? It is quite odd to see shinobi from two different countries traveling together."

"Yes, well, we are here to ask for the assistance of your country."

"You know that relations between earth and leaf haven't been very good in the years of late."

"Yes, I understand that, and it is why we are nearly begging for your help." Lee proceeded to relay the tale of the fall of konaha, while the earth ninja present remained silent. "That is how we came to our current situation, and that is why we request your aid.

The Tsuchikage nodded subtly, and the doors to the outside closed. A slight click indicated they had been locked.

"Well, perhaps you should have been informed slightly better. You see, here in Iwagakure, we are not very fond of the Jinkurichi, and your friend 'Naruto' as you said, is most certainly one of them." Raiden and Yugito exchanged nervous glances. "We will not help you."

"Fine then, Lee, lets get out of here." Sasuke scoffed.

"Unfortunately, that I cannot allow."

"And why not? Sasuke asked angrily.

"Well, you brought two Jinkurichi into my home, and they will die here. You two, Lee, and Sasuke, must die as well, for bringing them here."

"Is that so?" Sasuke asked, his eyes shifting into the sharingan.

"There is a second reason I cannot allow you to leave, if you care to hear it."

"Sure, why not." Sasuke spat.

"We have recently come into an alliance with Jadokagakure."

'I've never heard of a Village Hidden in the Venom before." Lee said quietly.

"It is a new village, led by a person you might know."

"And who is that?" Sasuke said, getting angrier and angrier.

"Orochimaru, he is the Hokage, and offered an alliance. We accepted, being that he destroyed our hated enemy, Konaha."

"Orochimaru is not the Hokage! The last, and final Hokage was Sarutobi, the third hokage!" Lee shouted.

"Say what you wish, but he is the hokage, and none of the other hidden villages are complaining.

"Did you hear what I heard, Kakuzu?"

"I believe so."

"Iwagakure is aligned with Orochimaru, a traitor to our order. We cannot let this opportunity pass us up, the master would be very irritated if we did."

"Very well, how would you like to do this?"

"You know exactly how I want to do this." Hidan smiled.

Several earth shinobi began to rise from the floor, weapons drawn.

"This is a big mistake." Sasuke said to the Tsuchikage.

'The only mistake you made was coming here."

"Sasuke, I believe we should have no problem getting out of here alive. Do you feel like dealing with the Tsuchikage?" Lee whispered.

"Sure, you got it."

"I will leave the use of lethal force to your discretion." Lee said with a grin, the same grin he always had before a good fight.

"What say we do this like men." Sasuke said loudly.

"What does a boy know of fighting like a man?"

"One on one. You and me. If I win, we get to walk out of here. If we lose, well there isn't much we have to lose, is there?"

"You think that a child like you can stand up against one of the five kage's?"

"If your so sure of yourself, then let's do this."

"Very well, you arrogant brat." The others in the room cleared away from the two who stared each other angrily. The Tsuchikage shed his Kage robes, revealing a broad and muscular chest, and massively thick biceps. "I will enjoy this."

"And I will enjoy this." Hidan said as he appeared behind the Tsuchikage, his scythe at his throat. He ripped it away quickly, and the Tsuchikage fell, beheaded.

"That is one way to deal with our problem, but it arises another." Raiden said.

"That headband! He is a defected ninja from Jashingakure!" One of the Tsuchikage's personal guard shouted.

"Defected or not, we are at war! Kill them, the leaf and cloud shinobi, and the two newcomers!"

"What a welcome." Hidan said with a sigh. Kakuzo grinned at the coming battle. One of the earth shinobi dropped a fist to the ground, forming a large crater in the floor. All the combatants fell below, into a massive underground pool. They all scrambled to their feet, on the surface of the water, and glared at the others. The three groups, each hated enemies of the other two, stood at a standstill.

"If one of you isn't going to start this, then I will." Kakuzo said with a laugh. Chakra formed in one of the masks on his back, and a deformed bipedal bull creature pulled itself from the ground, also standing on the water. The beast roared, and twin lightning bolts shot out, one aimed at each other group. The earth ninja ducked quickly, avoiding the attack, where Raiden jumped forward, holding out a hand.

"Lightning Rod Jutsu!" He shouted after forming a single, one-handed hand sign. The bolt streaked from its intended target, striking Raiden's hand. He raised his head back, reveling in the power he seemed to gain from it. He then formed another handsign. "Lightning Bolt Jutsu!" He shouted, extended a hand towards Kakuzo. The bolt shot out, and the bull-beast blasted Raiden's bolt with his own, negating the attack. The earth ninja split up into two groups, and began to charge at their enemies.

"Lee, Sasuke, the two akatsuki members are our fight. You deal with the earth shinobi, and we will deal with our own problems" Raiden said, and the two Leaf ninja agreed.

"Would you prefer the containers, or the earth ninjas?"

"I prefer to stop at a kill, and we are not allowed to kill the containers. I will deal with our foolish earth shinobis." Hidan replied, then closing his eyes, holding his necklace before his face. "Let their blood flow, lord." And with a grin, he opened his eyes, bringing his scythe to bear as dozens of shuriken were thrown at him. They were all deflected easily, and he grinned, hurling the scythe in retaliation.

"Sasuke, are you ready?"

"Of course. Fire Style! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke held his hand to his mouth as he finished, unleashing the massive sphere of flame upon the earth ninjas. Lee leapt forward, immediately following the flame.

"Dynamic Entry!" He shouted, his foot connected hard with the jaw of an earth ninja. He flew backwards, rolling over and over on the water, then began to sink. "One down!" He shouted as he blocked an attack, and looked to Sasuke. Sasuke leapt forward, over Lee's head, dropping his heel into the skull of another earth ninja, who had been just about to attack Lee. He dropped below the surface of the water. The two stood back to back, looked at each other, and smiled.

"I count eight remaining. When I'm done with my four, I'll come help you alright?" Sasuke said with a sly grin. The two were each pounced upon by the earth shinobi, but easily deflected the taijutsu.

"Sasuke, since when are you so friendly?" Lee asked as he punched straight out, catching an earth shinobi in the chest.

"I don't know, but I think this might be the start of a friendship. We have a lot in common, you know." Sasuke said as he brought his foot up instantly, catching an earth shinobi in the chin, sending him sprawling.

"Yugito, now!" Raiden shouted. The two dropped to all fours as they took on the shape of their Bijuus, Yugito a two-tailed cat, Raiden a six-tailed weasel. The bull beast rushed at Yugito, unleashing bolts of lightning, which she ducked and weaved around as she ran. Kakuzu stayed put as Raiden charged, as another mask floated off his back. It transformed into a four-legged eagle, with thin, thread like wings, and as it screeched, a blast of dense air flew at raiden. He leapt straight into it, his body becoming a giant ball of lightning. Kakuzu smiled as the eagle and raiden clashed back and forth, each time Raiden clashed, he would cease to appear as the ball of lightning, but then resume the form upon departure.

The earth ninja ducked under Hidan's scythe, continuing their charge, but with the rope attached to it, he pulled back on it, bringing it around to slash a single earth ninja across the back. He grasped the scythe close to it's lowest blade with a grin, and proceeded to consume the blood. He then began to draw a circle with a triangle on the inside, on top of the water, and then he lay down in the center. The water became choppy, and a wind blew around the area. The earth shinobi stopped, one nursing a particularly nasty cut on his back. They gazed in fear as his shape changed, his skin becoming black, and he white bone-like markings crawled across his skin. He appeared almost identical to the stereotypical "grim reaper", and he stood, glaring at the earth shinobi. Suddenly he drew two pikes, stabbing himself in each leg. The already injured earth shinobi screamed in pain, falling to his knees, sinking slightly into the water. Hidan reveled in the screams, and the blood being drawn from his own body, roaring with excitement. The other earth ninjas looked on in horror, but drew their weapons and moved to attack.

"Sasuke, how many are left?" Lee shouted from a distance as the two battled on. He ducked a kunai slash, before punching upward into the jaw of an earth shinobi. Blood flew everywhere as his jaw was shattered.

"Only two, how about you?" Sasuke said as he swept one of his feet before dropping a heel into his fallen opponents head. "Sorry, one." He said sarcastically.

"I am on my last as well!' Lee cried out, and the two leapt backwards, sliding across the water until they stood back to back. The final two earth shinobi rushed in, each with a well-crafted katana drawn.

"These two appear to be officers, or at least higher ranked." Sasuke commented. They went to slash high, and the two leaf shinobi dropped to one knee each, their other leg shooting up into their assailant's chin, practically mirroring each other. As their attackers were lifted off the water, they leapt up after them.

"Secondary Lotus!"

"Lion's Barrage!" They each began to maul their target with the taijutsu combos, Lee continuously kicking upward while Sasuke mercilessly kicked and punched the helpless earth ninja. Almost at the exact same time, Lee began to wrap his opponent in his bandages, while Sasuke rolled over in midair. Just as Sasuke's heel connected with his opponent's stomach, Lee's feet hit the ceiling, and he began to rocket towards the water.

"Crashing me into the water wont hurt at all!" The earth ninja shouted.

"That is where you are wrong! At high speeds, and at great heights, falling onto water is like hitting steel!" Lee shouted, and the three ninja's shot towards the water. The one conscious earth ninja falling screamed, and with a cacophonous roar they both hit the water.

With the eagle keeping Raiden busy, Kakuzu set his sights on Yukito. He formed hand signs in a flash, shouting out " Fire Style! Fire Bolt Jutsu!" and a stream of fire shot straight from his hands, colliding with Yukito's back. Her body was lit up, and she plummeted to the water with a scream.

"YUKITO!" Raiden screamed, arching his movement towards her. The eagle reminded him who his opponent was with a painful talon deep in his back, so he rolled over, and shouted "Lightning Pulse Jutsu!" and a circular wave of electricity fused chakra pulsed outward, and the eagle screeched in pain. Blood sprayed from his back but he rushed onward to Yukito's side. She was unconscious, but floating in the water. He charged at Kakuzu, biting him in the shoulder, as he was still in weasel form, and Kakuzu laughed it off as a simultaneous lightning bolt and a gust of wind tore Raiden from his body.

"Zetsu, do your job." Kakuzu said sullenly, and the odd creature, with two shades of skin color and a massive plant encasing his body, slinked out of the shadows, grabbing Yukito's body stealthily, and dragging her away. "Don't go too far, there is going to be another in a moment."

The ten earth ninja that had attacked Hidan all lay bleeding in the water, not moving, looks of horror upon their faces. Hidan's body showed numerous wounds, and although they appeared lethal, for the immortal, they were superficial. He grinned morbidly, blood drenching his clothes, and all his weapons. "Thank you for the fight, lord." He brought his pendant slowly to his lips, touching it gently, then letting go of it. "Kakuzu, are you done with the jinkurichis yet?"

"Not quite, but one is down, and the other won't last long."

"This time I won't miss! Chidori!" Sasuke shouted, jabbing the attack through Kakuzu's back. Sasuke felt something shatter upon impact, and he felt blood across his hand.

"Sasuke, excellent shot!" Sasuke looked grimly at Kakuzu, who was still standing, knowing the job wasn't done.

"You catch me off guard for the last time, whelp. I will teach you respect for your elders, and BETTERS!" He shouted, and the bull-type beast rushed at Sasuke. It roared, and two lightning bolts shot out, which Sasuke dodged.

"You don't need help with the children, do you, Kakuzu?"

"Feel free to deal with the dopy-looking one. The sharingan is mine." Lee scowled, but turned to Hidan.

"I bet you've already seen my technique by now, haven't you?"

"Unfortunately, no, I tend to focus on the battle at hand."

"Very well then, this will be amusing." Hidan smiled, drawing his scythe.

Raiden changed from his ball of lightning form into the weasel as he landed on the eagle's back, scratching, clawing, biting, and digging furiously. The eagle screeched in pain, and the two fell to the water. The eagle ceased to move when Raiden bit and snapped it's neck. He stood on all fours, and glared at Kakuzu.

"Where is Yukito?"

"Go find her yourself."

"You monster!" He leapt at Kakuzu, who ducked, then stabbed out with a long katana, catching Raiden across the flank. His back left leg fell limp, and Raiden stood on three legs. "I will kill you for what you've done."

"I only knocked her unconscious, I would worry about what Zetsu is going to do to her. Cannibalism is such a filthy habit." Raiden looked in horror as Kakuzu smiled. "Cheer up, he wouldn't do that before the demon inside her body is torn from her, and he won't be able to do that until you too, are incapacitated." Kakuzu grinned madly, and then his arm holding the sword detached itself from his torso, and shot out at Raiden, cutting him across the front right leg. He fell onto the water, unable to support himself with two legs. He reverted back to his human form, his left leg and right arm hanging limp and bloody.

"Hmm, your fists are already bloody, that will make this fight all the easier." Hidan smiled as he rushed towards Lee, drawing a pike. He slashed out, and Lee ducked. Lee could barely stay ahead of him. Lee kicked out once, forcing Hidan to dodge, and back off. Lee quickly unstrapped the weights from his legs, which dropped with a massive splash to the depths of the pool below them. "Come now, I just want some of your blood for a friend of mine."

"I do not know why you are so interested in getting my blood, but if it is helpful to you than I cannot allow it!" Lee took off like a bullet, punching Hidan in the chest. He flew backwards, but rolled in the air and caught himself.

"Taijutsu? Is that all you've got?"

"It may be all I've got, but it is more than enough to defeat you!"

"Fire Style! Pheonix Fire Flower Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, and dozens of tiny fireballs shot from his mouth, spreading wide before zooming to collide with the bull-type creature. Its fur was singed, but it broke through the smoke, snarling and charging, shooting bolts of lightning from it's mouth. "Chidori!" Sasuke cried, rushing towards the beast. It shot two more bolts of lightning, and Sasuke ducked the first, then leapt over the second, before coming down at a forward angle onto the beast, driving the chidori through the bony protrusion where it's horns met on top of it's skull. The beast moaned in pain, then fell over, sinking into the water, blood leaking from its massive injury. A crack was heard, and Kakuzu scowled.

"Damnit…" He lifted a hand, and began counting fingers. "One at Cloud, now three here, that leaves one…Damnit. Hidan!" Kakuzu shouted in a voice that suggested he was going to give an order.

"I am enjoying myself, flee if you wish!" Hidan replied, rushing at Lee. Lee ducked easily, then punched at Hidan's chest. Hidan leaned forward and took the blow to the head, almost intentionally.

"I strike at your chest, and you block with your head, what kind of defense is that?"

"Your bloody fists. I've got your blood now." He grinned, and wiped the blood off of his face, quickly consuming it before drawing the symbol on the water. A rumbling echoed through the cavern, but beyond what was occurring from the symbol's activation. They all looked around, and then below them at the blood-stained water. Something was below, and that something was mad. Hidan took on his reaper-ish appearance with a smile.

"None of you…will escape alive." An earth shinobi commented. Hidan quickly drove a pike through his skull.

"Now we can be alone." Hidan smiled at Lee, then grabbed his pike, and stabbed his own leg. Lee cringed, and fell to a knee. Hidan reveled in the pain once more, grinning madly. Lee stood, and rushed at him, punching him hard in the head, which Hidan made no effort to avoid. He laughed as he stumbled backwards, and Lee cradled a broken nose, screaming in pain.

"What kind of technique is this?"

"The last you will ever see." Hidan continued grinning, and then stabbed himself once more.

"You aren't going anywhere, Kakuzu." Sasuke commented.

"Oh, I think I am." He spat out, and began to jump from wall to wall, towards the hole in the ceiling of the cavern.

"I said you aren't going anywhere." Sasuke held his chidori, his third of the day, with clear strain, as the two glared at each other, standing upside down near the entrance to the village.

"If you really want to die." He glared at Sasuke, and then grinned, but his look turned to dismay. He looked below, to see his arm and his sword being held in midair by Raiden. Sasuke would have been thrilled, except it was through Raiden's stomach. Raiden smiled weakly at Sasuke, and then fell limp on the blade, which fell to the water's surface, his blood seeping into the water.

"Now you pay for what you've done." Sasuke cried, charging at Kakuzu.

"Zetsu, your job is almost done, collect that one, and we can leave." Kakuzu dropped from the ceiling, and then rolled over in midair before landing on the water. "You can't catch me boy, and something tells me you are running out of chakra.

Lee grasped his left arm as blood spewed from it. Hidan pulled the pike from his arm with great pleasure, as Lee screamed once more.

"You understand now? Any injury I suffer, you shall suffer as well."

"Let us see if that works both ways." Lee said, and he began to focus.

"What are you talking about?" Hidan asked.

"First Gate! OPEN!" Lee shouted, and Hidan looked at him suspiciously.

"Fool, the harder you hit me, the more it hurts you! Increase the strength of your attacks all you want.

"Second Gate, OPEN!" Lee shouted, not stopping there.

"You only seal your own fate by doing this."

"Third Gate, OPEN! Fourth Gate, OPEN!" Lee roared, and the cavern shook again. Something roared from below them. "Fifth gate, OPEN!" Lee cried, and he stood up straight, his body shaking with power. "Gai sensei, thank you for teaching me this technique. You are not forgotten." Lee took off running, and began performing all kinds of acrobatics unrelated to combat. He did a cartwheel across the water, and Hidan cringed.

"What is this?" Lee smiled as his plan began to work. He began to run upside down on the ceiling, not using chakra to stick to the wall, just his sheer speed. Hidan fell to his knees. "What are you doing?" Lee stepped it up a notch, as he began to shadowbox, fighting an imaginary enemy as Hidan doubled over in pain, which he normally loved. "I can't move! What kind of technique is this?"

"No special technique, just leaf shinobi ingenuity." Lee smiled, and continued his "fight". Hidan was motionless, only able to speak. "This technique wreaks havoc on the body of a trained user, nevermind someone who has never used it. Just moving around after releasing the gates is taxing. Once, I could not settle for anything less than a victory, but now, I will settle for tying with an immortal."

The cavern continued to rumble while rocks and dust feel freely from the ceiling into the water below.

"Lee, cool it with the acrobatics! I think you have him beat but your shaking the caverns! We don't need a cave in!" Sasuke shouted as he stood between Kakuzu and the exit.

"Sasuke, I am not moving. I released the gates just a moment ago. I do not know why the cavern is shaking."

"Hidan is unconscious, so it isn't him, both demons are out for the count, as well as unconscious, and it's not me. Why is the cavern shaking?" Kakuzu asked himself. Hidan lay unconscious in a pool of his own blood, and was now sinking into the water. Yugito and Raiden were gone, taken by Zetsu. Kakuzu closed his eyes, and began to focus, searching the room for alternate locations of dense chakra. He looked downward, straight into the water.

Deep below, at the bottom of the underground lake, something began to stir. Lee's weights slid off of the indiscriminately shaped beast. Dirt covered it's body, as if it had not moved in decades. A single, giant red eye opened, and a low, deep roar echoed through the caverns.

"Lee, what the hell was that?" Sasuke asked as the bellow resounded around the cavern, echoing painfully in everyone's ears.

"I do not know, but the cavern is shaking more. What is going on? Is this your doing?" Lee shouted as he looked to Kakuzu.

"Whatever it is, it isn't mine." Kakuzu said scathingly.

"Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki, you have been reassigned."

"What are you talking about?" Itachi asked angrily.

"Kakuzu and Hidan have met with resounding success, comparatively to your repetitive failures, they have earned a reassignment."

"And what are we being reassigned to?"

"The one-tailed shukaku."

"The one-tail? What success have they met that indicates such a demotion?"

"They have captured the six tailed weasel and the two tailed cat."

"So?"

"In one day." Itachi scowled at Tobi, who began to walk out of the room.

"They will be capturing the nine-tailed fox, and you two will take the one-tailed shukaku. It's current container is the Kazekage. Even you two should be able to handle the tanuki."

"They will die."

"Excuse me, are you threatening akatsuki members?"

"Why would I threaten them, when the fox will kill them himself? I won't waste the energy."

"Regardless of what you think, they have proven more capable than you, and thus the more difficult task will be set on their shoulders."

"Lee, maybe you should get off the water now…"

"Why?"

"Everything is shaking…" Lee looked around and ripples were forming across the water. He leapt towards the ceiling, grabbing onto the ledge, pulling himself into the Tsuchikage's chambers. He looked over the edge towards Sasuke and Kakuzu.

"Perhaps we should get moving, and go after the one who took Raiden and Yukito!" Lee shouted over the din of the shaking cavern.

"You wont catch Zetsu." Kakuzu commented.

"Oh yeah, why not? My friend and I are pretty quick." Sasuke retorted.

"Can you travel underground and teleport?"

"No."

"Then you won't catch him." Sasuke scowled as Kakuzu finished. "There is a good chance that whatever is down there is bigger and stronger than any of us. I can sense it's chakra, and it is massive. Like it or not, we may need to cooperate." Kakuzu said with a sigh. Sasuke glared at him.

"_Why have I been woken?" _A booming voice echoed from below the water's surface, and it sounded like a crashing wave.

Well? How was it? Tell me! Read, enjoy, review! Its the whole trinity of fanfiction. Come on guys! Show some love!


	16. Chapter 16 Let's Move

Alrighty it hasn't been too long, has it? Well, anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

"_Why have I been woken?" _A booming voice echoed from below the water's surface, and it sounded like a crashing wave.

Sasuke, Lee, and Kakuzu all looked down. The water was shifting heavily; something was definitely down there.

"What is this creature?" Lee asked out loud.

"Don't ask me, I'm just as much in the dark as you are." Kakuzu responded.

"_Blood…I smell blood." _The booming voice roared.

"This definitely doesn't look good." Kakuzu sighed. "Are you boys up for this, whatever it might be?"

"So you're actually going to help us?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm in no mood to die today." Kakuzu said, his voice getting louder to overcome the sloshing water.

"Fine. Let's see what we are up against first." Sasuke said, and he shifted to face down, his chidori still chirping in his hand. Kakuzu drew his single katana, glaring downward. Lee the only one standing with his head above his feet, looked down through the hole.

"_This blood smells…delicious." _

"I can see the shape, barely." Sasuke said, his sharingan showing him a clearer view.

"Get ready."

"Blood…Food. Wait, what is this? I smell…immortal blood, and I smell the blood of a kekkai-genkai…so long has it been since I smelled anything. An Uchiha? Delicious, and he is still alive. I will feed on the dead first, before they spoil, and then the living."

"He seems to have taken a shine to you." Kakuzu said, looking to Sasuke. He glared in response.

"Even more so to your friend, it would seem." Lee said as a dark shape began to rise out of the water, just below Hidan. A large whirlpool formed, and the many bodies in the water began to slowly spin towards the center, where dozens of rows of gleaming teeth waited for them hungrily. After some horrible crunching, the whirlpool stopped. All the blood and bodies were clear from the water now, and all was quiet.

"_Two, no, three more…I am so hungry…one thousand would be more appropriate." _Suddenly, the head burst through the water. A massive shark, fifty feet across the jaw at least, leapt forth from the underground sea. Three dark and scarred fins stuck out jaggedly from its back, and as it's entire body pulled out of the water, three massive tails could be seen clearly. It missed Sasuke and Kakuzu, just barely, it's jump falling short, before falling a hundred or more feet back into the water. All three ninja were soaked as an enormous wave rose from the behemoth's descent.

"_My strength falters from my slumber…I must consume more to regain my strength." _Just the head went above the water this time, and a massive stream of water to put most rivers to shame shot from the monster's mouth, striking the ceiling of the cavern. The three ninja narrowly avoided, each choosing a new spot on the ceiling.

"The three-tailed shark." Kakuzu said with a sigh.

"No kidding." Sasuke said angrily.

"Very well then, shall we proceed? We do not have any time to waste! Something like this cannot be allowed to escape into the world!"

"Have you ever heard of a tailed beast being defeated?" Kakuzu asked. "Haven't you ever wondered why the demons are trapped in the body of ninjas, the nine-tailed brat, for example?"

"Because they are too powerful to be destroyed." Lee said sullenly.

"Exactly."

"No, this one is weaker. He said it himself." Sasuke replied as he dodged around yet another stream of water. "We might have a chance!"

"I agree with Sasuke!" Lee shouted. "We must try! Something this powerful cannot be allowed to return to full strength, or escape this place!"

"Fine, we can try if you want. Are you two ready?" The three dodged another ferocious bolt of water as Kakuzu sighed.

"Alright! Let us attack!" Lee slipped down through the hole, standing upside down with the others.

"_You three…you are quite the quick ones, aren't you? Oh well, I don't mind battling, or as I've come to call it, tenderizing. You will be so delicious." _

"On three, we attack." Kakuzu said, poising for an attack. Sasuke crouched, his chidori still humming, and Lee stood in his traditional stance.

"_Three!" _The beast roared as it blasted the ceiling with its stream of water.

"Sasuke, are you alright!?" Lee asked.

"I'm fine, Lee, where's Kakuzu?"

"He was next to you a moment ago!" Lee shouted.

"The immortal has fled…very well, you two will have to do. Odd, however, that chakra does not flow freely through one of your veins…I have always enjoyed chakra as a bit of seasoning. You will have to do." The beast blasted the ceiling once more, and the two dodged.

"Lee!" Sasuke shouted through the din of the rumbling cavern.

"Sasuke?" Sasuke could see Lee's lips moving, but no sound came to his ears. A massive chunk of rock broke from the ceiling, and it happened to be the chunk Lee had been standing on. He fell towards the water, and there the beast was, his maw wide open, waiting for the meal to come.

"LEE!" Sasuke pushed off the ceiling, shooting straight downward, his chidori leading. The curse mark began to crawl across his body, and as he fell, the wings burst from his skin, no longer painful.

"Mmmmm, fresh meat."

Sasuke's arm hit the water first as he dropped. The electricity coursed through the water, and the beast roared in pain, shutting its massive jaws. Lee struck its nose, bouncing off, and rolling down his body, unconscious. Sasuke flew across the surface of the water, chidori still chirping, flying towards the beast. His left arm held out, catching Lee before he hit the electrified water. The beast still reeled in pain, and Sasuke pushed off the water, hard, causing a large splash as he leapt over towards the beast's eyes. He reared back, before jabbing the Chidori deep into the three-tailed shark's eye. The cavern shook as the monster roared in pain. Blood gushed from its eye as Sasuke flew away, shooting upward, towards the exit.

"Rotten…Children…" The shark receded back into the water, defeated for the moment. Sasuke flew out of the cave, and out of Iwagakure.

A few days later, Sasuke and Lee walked along a large river, one of many that crisscrossed the waterfall nation, on their way back to the land of fire.

"Sasuke, there is a waterfall ahead. Perhaps we should look for a way down that isn't the obvious way."

"Perhaps we can help you with that." They turned to see two people behind them. One, a small girl, not 10 years old, with bright orange hair, tied into two triangular points, and the other was a young man with glasses and gray hair.

"Kabuto?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke, you know him?"

"Yeah, he helped us in the chunin exams. What are you doing here, and who's the kid?"

"The child has a name, and it's Moegi. She is my student."

"Your student? You aren't even a chunin, you can't take on students."

"I may be a genin as far as konaha was concerned, but their opinion no longer matters, does it?"

"What are you saying?"

"You don't seem to concerned with the destruction of the leaf village!" Lee shouted.

"Now you get it." Kabuto said with a grim smile.

"You had something to do with it." Sasuke said. Kabuto maintained his grin. "You helped Orochimaru, and Madara!"

"Yes, I did. In fact, I killed one of your friend's fathers. He used some sort of shadow jutsu."

"Shikamaru's father…How could you, Kabuto? You helped us, you were our friend."

"Easy. My loyalties are too Orochimaru, not Konaha. Killing leaf shinobi was so easy, too."

"You won't hurt another leaf shinobi." Sasuke said as he drew a kunai. Lee dropped into a stance, one hand behind his back, one held in front, palm open.

"Moegi, care to use your new training?" She nodded. "Destroy them."

Moegi stood in place, between the two and Kabuto.

"You would ask a small girl to fight your battles for you? You are a disgrace to all leaf shinobi!" Lee shouted. "Sasuke, you knew Kabuto, I will leave it to you to defeat him. I will try to disable the girl." Lee rushed forward, disappearing just short of the girl, reappearing behind her, chopping her once in the neck. She ducked under his attack, spun around, and her hand glowed blue, before she palmed Lee's stomach. Lee leapt back quickly after taking the hit. "It would seem I have underestimated her, she is much stronger than a normal child. Incapacitation may not be an option."

"Kabuto, I'm going to kill you and put you out of your misery." Sasuke glared at him. "Sharingan." His eyes changed, and he ran at Kabuto.

"With what, your little chirping birds technique? It won't work."

"Let's put that to the test. CHIDORI!" Sasuke shouted, charging at Kabuto.

"Silly child."

"What kind of attack was that? I don't feel anything…" Lee said as he looked at Moegi, confused. "Wait, what is this? I'm…thirsty?"

"It gets worse!" Moegi shouted as she stood at the ready.

"I am sorry I must do this, gai sensei! I know I should only ever protect children, females especially, but my hand has been forced! Please forgive me!" Lee bolted straight at her once more, leaping into the air, lashing out with a flurry of kicks. "Konaha Whirlwind!" He said as he spun, alternating feet to deliver the blows.

"Chakra Scalpel." Moegi said quietly as she dodged several attacks, then stuck out two fingers, to which a long blue blade was attached, and her fingers barely touched Lee's calf muscle, while the blade went all the way in. He dropped to the ground, landing on both feet, his attack finished, and then dropped to one knee.

"What was that? My leg…"

"It was a chakra scalpel. It doesn't break the skin, but can destroy anything beneath it. Works wonders on muscles and bones."

"I see. I have underestimated you for the last time!"

"You're right about that!" She shouted back, before she ran at the currently immobile Lee.

"I told you, that won't work." Kabuto ducked under a quick thrust from the Chidori, then spun around to face Sasuke's back, palming his back with a pulse of blue chakra. Sasuke stumbled forward in pain, his chidori still active, before turning around to charge. "Foolish boy. I've studied that move, and it's superior counterpart, Raikiri, to a great extent. It won't work on me."

"Oh yeah? Well how does this one grab you? Chidori! KATON!" A Chidori formed in his left hand, and then took on an orange and red glow. It erupted into flames, and Sasuke stood erect, holding the two balls of elemental chakra.

"Manipulating it into a different type of chakra is a colorful trick, nothing more."

"We'll see about that." Sasuke moved his hands together, fusing the two attacks into one.

"Idiotic boy…" Kabuto said with a sigh. Sasuke held the two attacks together as he charged, holding them to his right side. He got in close to Kabuto as he swung, who merely ducked, before attempting a stab at Sasuke's chest. Sasuke leapt over his back, so Kabuto leapt forward. Kabuto spun with a confidant grin, before bending over backwards to avoid a blast of elemental chakra shot from Sasuke's hands.

"Idiot, am I?" Sasuke grinned, before loosing several more of the bolts at Kabuto, who dodged them desperately.

Moegi rushed in, her scalpel at the ready as Lee used his one good leg to stand, putting all his weight on it. He parried with his hands easily, his superior speed more than a match for her. He grabbed one wrist as he ducked, pulled her close, and threw an uppercut into her jaw. She flew upward, and landed hard on her back. Lee began to stretch out his injured leg, massaging it, trying to get feeling back into it. He hopped around, testing its strength. When he was satisfied, he ran at her once more. She stabbed out with her scalpel after regaining her feet, but Lee ducked low, launching a foot into her chin. She flew straight up, exactly where Lee wanted her. He leapt up after her, kicking her multiple times as she was pushed higher into the air. She began to level out, and he appeared under her, his bandages stretching out.

"One new trick won't save you. Use your curse mark, you might have a chance."

"Sounds like a good idea!" Sasuke shouted, and the flame like curse mark flowed over his body.

"Lord Orochimaru will be pleased."

"I doubt it." Sasuke said with a grin, as he moved into the second phase, his hair going white and his skin dark, before black wings shot from his shoulder blades.

"That is a first, I've never seen the mutation of the second level appear like that."

"This isn't a curse mark, a friend of mine gave me these." Sasuke said as he glanced over his shoulder at his wings.

"Fine then, let's see how that works out for you." Kabuto adjusted his glasses and stood at the ready.

"This is a technique my sensei taught me, and I wish I did not have to use it against a little girl. Gai sensei, forgive me." The bandages spread out wide, threatening to envelop Moegi, until Kabuto appeared in the air, shoving Moegi out of the way, and taking her place.

"Kabuto, no!" Moegi screamed.

"Get back here, Kabuto!" Sasuke shouted angrily.

"So, you do have some kind of honor." Lee said angrily as his bandages completely wrapped around Kabuto.

"I have my orders." Kabuto said grimly, bracing for the impact.

"Have it your way." Lee said quietly as they began to arch, and then spin towards the earth violently.

"Moegi, run away, now!" Kabuto shouted before his voice became indistinguishable from the spinning vortex he became part of. She began to cry slightly, but wiped her eyes before fading into the ground. Kabuto crashed into the ground with a cacophonous crash as Lee leapt away to safety. Kabuto pulled himself out of the rubble, nursing his left arm.

"I suppose I'll see you boys around. Orochimaru won't be pleased with these results." Kabuto fell back into the earth, creeping away as Sasuke rushed over, punching the ground where he had been violently, creating a small crater.

"Damnit! Coward…"

"Sasuke, we need to warn the others if we can. I doubt we are the only ones getting attacked."

"Yeah, let's move."

I bet you didn't see that coming! I switched around the order of chapters, oooooh why did i do it? Lol, find out over the next couple chapters )

Sorry to disappoint you, Naru/Hina fans!


	17. Chapter 17 Itachi's Good Timing

Sorry about the delay, folks. I don't really know how long its been since the last time I posted, im sure a lot longer than any of you really cared to wait. I've had a lot going on, some good, like my new job, or going to my cousins without phone or internet for several days, some bad, which I wont get into. Anyway, here we are, the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Also, I just realized, that in the last set of chapters, I somehow managed to skip Ino/Shika/Cho, so get ready for a back to back of them. We've got some catching up to do, so lets get to it.

"Well Chouji, it looks like it's about time we got out of here." Shikamaru said calmly as he stared out across the sand village.

"Looks like it."

"You're leaving already?" Temari asked as she walked up from behind them.

"We have to get back to the others, we're probably going to be late anyway."

"That's a shame, I was hoping you could wait a day or two."

"Why's that?" Chouji asked, Shikamaru averting his eyes from Chouji.

"Well, I was thinking I would go with you, and I have a few things I need to take care of first."

"You can't leave, you're the Kazekage."

"I won't be for long. I've decided to resign."

"Why?"

"I'm not up to it. I may be capable, but I'm not willing. I don't feel like taking on that much responsibility."

"I see." Shikamaru said.

"And you're going to come with us?" Chouji asked, a puzzled look on his face. Shikamaru again averted his eyes.

"_Ooooh! Shikamaru has a girlfriend!!" _Ino shouted in Chouji's mind.

"Oooh, I get it." A broad grin crossed Chouji's face as he wrapped an arm around Shikamaru. "When were you gonna tell us, buddy?" Chouji laughed as Shikamaru broke free of his grasp.

"Tomorrow I'm telling the council that I'm going to resign. After that, I'll be ready to leave."

"Fine, I guess we can wait around another day." Shikamaru responded.

"Good, enjoy the remainder of your stay." Temari smiled as she walked away.

Temari stood in a large chamber, Shikamaru and Chouji flanking her. The elder council of Sunahagakure stood before her, most suspecting the message to come.

"Elders of Sunahagakure, I thank you for coming here. The reason I've gathered you here-" Temari was cut off as Shikamaru tackled her to the side, and Kisame's massive blade swung through the wall of the building where her throat had once been.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru shouted, his black beam shooting out to capture Kisame's body.

"Body Expansion Jutsu!" Chouji cried as he grew to three times his size. He ran over at the immobile Kisame, a massive fist reared back. A flash of movement, and Chouji flipped over Kisame, headlong, his charge ruined. "Human Boulder!" Chouji cried, managing to avoid injury as he fell to the ground, rolling along, before releasing the shape, to turn and see Itachi standing next to Temari, who had yet to regain her feet. He drew a knife, and stopped to see a least twenty or thirty Sand Ninjas with weapons drawn.

"This does not concern you, I would not recommend getting in the way."

"You attack the Kazekage, you attack the village!" One of the sand ninja shouted out.

"Lucky for us, Itachi has good timing…" Shikamaru said quietly to Temari, both of whom were still lying on the floor. Temari rolled her eyes, before collapsing part of the building's wall, and blasting Itachi with a jet of sand. He brought an arm up to defend, and maintained his feet. The diversion gave Temari and Shikamaru time to stand.

"Ino, now! Get Kisame!" Shikamaru shouted as he struggled to maintain control of his jutsu.

The mob of sand shinobi leapt at the occupied Itachi, throwing a flurry of knives at him. His eyes shifted suddenly, changing their appearance.

"Amaterasu." He said as he bolted through a dozen hand signs in an instant, and then extended one hand outward to the sand shinobi. A black flame shot from his hand, first enveloping the kunai and shuriken thrown at him, then encasing the sand shinobi, burning them alive. Their screams could be heard clearly throughout the room, and none could escape the fire. Itachi blinked several times as blood began to flow from his right eye, but the attack had left he and Kisame alone with the Konaha ninja, and Temari.

"The elder council…He killed them all with a single attack!" Temari shouted, mortified.

"Look, he's breathing heavily, and his eye is bleeding. He can't use that technique much. Don't worry about that." Shikamaru responded. "Ino, now! Take control of Kisame!" Chouji nodded, and let Ino take over for the moment. A few hand signs, and Ino glared at the still immobile Kisame.

"Tsukoyomi." Itachi said, and Ino's eyes went wide.

Itachi appeared in what appeared to be a tastefully decorated living room, with Chouji anxiously looking out a window, which could only be assumed to be his eyes.

"Hey! How did you get in here?" Chouji shouted, drawing a knife.

"Interesting…You are immune to the Tsukoyomi, I wonder why." Itachi looked around the room, searching for an answer.

"Tsukoyomi?" Chouji asked.

"A technique unique to the users of the mangekyo sharingan, and thus unique to the elite of the Uchiha clan. It paralyzes the victim, forcing them into a terrain of the users choice. It is genjutsu, but it forces them to suffer through 72 hours of torture at the users option, while only a few seconds passes in the real world. There is no reason for you to be immune to it, only an Uchiha can even survive the technique."

"Heh, maybe you should do a little background check on your opponents." Chouji said with a smug smile.

"Why would I research a genin from an extinct village? The target was the Kazekage."

"Well, I'm no expert on your jutsu, but if I had to guess, you can't control me, even with genjutsu, because my mind isn't preoccupied with controlling my body at the moment"

"How is that possible?"

"Ino is in control right now."

"You have another, trapped inside your mind. Without the necessary brain function to control your body, you can resist the tsukoyomi. This may be worth investigating further."

"So, we have 72 hours in here, huh?" Chouji grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

"Even if you can resist the Tsukoyomi's normal effect, only seconds will have passed once I'm done with you."

"Bring it on." Chouji grinned, forming a hand sign. "Body Expansion Jutsu!" He grew to 10 times his normal size, grinning at Itachi.

"You're just a genin, how can you utilize such an advanced level of that technique?"

"You're in my brain, Itachi. This isn't your Tsukoyomi world, it's mine." Chouji lurched forward, throwing huge punches at Itachi. Using his far superior speed, Itachi dodged easily. Chouji began to hurl shuriken the size of boulders, and Itachi spun and dodged madly to avoid the massive, bladed objects. "What's the matter, Itachi? Can't you use any techniques in here?"

"The tsukoyomi doesn't allow the weilder to use any further jutsu, it is never necessary." Itachi said with a scowl.

"Until now." Chouji said as he continued his barrage.

Itachi stumbled backwards a few feet a few seconds after using his jutsu. He blinked hard, several times, and looked at the ground with an odd look.

"Itachi?" Kisame asked, still immobile.

"We need to leave." Itachi reappeared next to Shikamaru, tossed him aside, interrupting the shadow possession, and Kisame leapt free. The two took off running, and the young shinobi did not give pursuit.

Chouji resumed control, them stumbled sideways with a shocked look in his eyes, as if someone had just set off a bomb next to his ear.

"_WHAT DID YOU DO? IT TOOK ME WEEKS TO DECORATE THIS!" _Ino screamed into Chouji's mind.

"_Can't you just imagine it the way it was?" _Chouji asked.

"_No I can't…Well yes, but…THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" _She screamed again, and Chouji rocked back on his heels once more.

OK so, I'm back lol, I'll try to keep up better I'm sorry it took forever, like i said, I've been busy! Anyway, I should have the next chapter up quickly. Thanks for sticking with me!


	18. Chapter 18 Like Father Like Son

Ok, im sorry, i took forever, I know! I said I'd do it faster this time around, but I'm going to college soon and im trying to get in some last minute hang out time with my friends, but anyway! New Chapter, rejoice! Naru/Hina fans, next chapter is yours, i promise, now that everything is straightened out. Enjoy!

"You can't leave now, they need you more than ever." Shikamaru reasoned to Temari briefly after their battle with Itachi.

"They will elect new elders, and then a new kazekage. It really won't be a problem."

"Temari, you can't be serious."

"We're already on the road out of the village. I'm not turning back now." Shikamaru sighed in defeat, and continued walking. Temari smiled superiorly, and Chouji gave a broad grin.

"Temari, you need to come back to the village, now." Kankuro appeared in the road in front of the group.

"What's wrong?"

"Orochimaru sent his ninja. He's trying to bring the village back under his sway. Apparently, two villages isn't enough for him."

"Damnit…" Shikamaru sighed, and the group moved back towards the village.

"You're positive they are Orochimaru's men?" Shikamaru asked.

"Sound ninja headbands. Trust me, they're Orochimaru's." Kankuro replied.

"What is that guy's problem? The Hokage wouldn't let him take his spot over, so he has to rule the world?" Chouji said, puzzled.

"Not every body has a master plan, Chouji,"

"What do you mean?"

"Some people just want to watch the world burn." Chouji nodded sullenly.

They arrived at the village shortly thereafter, to see a full-scale battle already in progress. The sand ninja were holding their own, but they were badly outnumbered, even on their home turf.

"Guys, we need to help them, now." Shikamaru said, and the group leapt into action.

Chouji grew to several times his size, running through the village and swatting sound ninja as he went. Temari used her newfound powers of sand control in combination with her fan to blind dozens of opponents simultaneously, before watching the sand ninja run in and defeat the opposition. Shikamaru leapt from street to street, using his shadow possession jutsu in combination with the shadow strangle, snuffing the life out of several enemies at once.

Hours later, Konkuro landed in front of Temari, who had just routed a section of the village.

"Temari, we've won, they're retreating."

"Good, maybe Orochimaru will think twice, before he tries to claim a village." Temari replied angrily.

"Well, now that that's settled, Chouji, we should probably get going."

"I guess so."

"Alright, just give me a minute." Temari said as she scanned the village.

"You're kidding, right?" Shikamaru asked.

"What?"

"You're still going to leave."

"Yeah, so?"

"Temari, your village was just invaded, had their kazekage resign, and their entire elder council decimated. How can you leave at a time like this?"

"I hold Orochimaru personally responsible for what happened to Gaara. We wouldn't have even been at the chunin exams if he hadn't killed the kazekage and incited our village to attack."

"Be that as it may-" Shikamaru was cut off as noises began to erupt from far to the side, mostly screams of agony. A body dropped from the sky in front of them, landing between Shikamaru and Temari. A message was written in blood on his clothing, saying "Death To Leaf"

"More attackers?" Konkuro asked.

"Let's find out." Shikamaru nodded to Chouji, and leapt off. Temari and Kankuro followed at his heels.

"Ah, so you got our message." A small boy stood in the midst of a blood strewn street. He wore a leaf headband with a slash through it, large glasses, and a dark jacket. His hair was brown and he stood in front of another ninja, not a man, a teenager. The second ninja had light colored hair, almost white, with a zig-zag parting pattern. Two large locks of hair from either side of his head went through red bands, and two red dots adorned his forehead. He wore a lightly colored robe, similar to his hair but slightly blue. An odd, three-part symbol adorned his chest where the robe split.

"You're just a child, what are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked the boy.

"You don't recognize me then?"

"No, should I?"

"My name is Udon, I was a student at the leaf ninja academy, until I was left for dead by the adults."

"I know you…You're one of Konahamaru's friends, one of the students that are always hanging around Naruto."

"That's correct, or it was correct, until the students were abandoned by the teachers. Left for dead, our new instructor gave us a new life."

"New instructor? No…Not Orochimaru."

"Correct again, Shikamaru. You're quite astute, you do your reputation justice."

"Who's the other guy?" Shikamaru asked.

"I am Kimimaro, leader of the sound five, or what used to be the sound five, anyway. I am one of Orochimaru's most trusted servants."

"So what, you two are here to take the village?" Temari asked angrily.

"Don't be so self-absorbed. Your village is worthless. We are here to ensure Lord Orochimaru's complete victory over Konaha."

"Complete Victory?" Chouji asked. "What are you talking about, he already won. He took the village, killed all of it's people!" Chouji began to grow angry as he spoke.

"He wants the survivors, Chouji. You, me, Naruto, Hinata, Lee, Sasuke. He wants us dead, because with us alive, he can't truly be the kage of the land of fire, because there are still those loyal to the third hokage."

"Once again, you are correct." Udon smiled grimly. "We have strict orders to kill the two of you, The rest of you are no use to us, just dust in the wind. Leave here while you remain alive, or stay and fight, it doesn't matter."

"You're not even a genin, kid, what makes you think you can defeat us?" Kankuro said. "Temari was the kazekage and has the one-tailed shukaku inside her. The rest of us are at least at chunin rank. Even if your friend was a jonin, you'd have no hope."

"My rank matters little, I am an observer. This is as much a mission for Udon as it is Orochimaru testing him. Orochimaru could swat each of you like flies if he chose to do so."

"But cowards like Orochimaru don't want to get their hands dirty!" Chouji shouted.

"Shut up! Don't insult Lord Orochimaru, or I promise your death will not be quick." Udon said angrily.

"Fine, if you really think you can win." Shikamaru said with a sigh. "This is going to be such a drag."

"What are you talking about?"

"All the fights I get thrown into are boring. First, in the chunin exams, all my opponents are girls, and now I have to fight a little kid."

"I may be a child, but my skills far surpass any chunin. You'll know that soon enough."

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru cried, and the jet black stream of shadow shot across the ground, wrapping around Udon's feet. "Chouji, you know what to do." Shikamaru said, clearly bored.

"You got it boss." Chouji began to walk closer to Udon, keeping an eye on Kimimaro. He reached out to grab the child, when suddenly, dozens of kunai from all the various bodies strewn across the street flew out to impale Chouji, as if of there own free will. Chouji dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding the projectiles. Udon smiled. "What the heck was that?"

"My own unique jutsu." Udon said with a grin.

"That's impossible, you can't make handsigns while captured by the shadow possession jutsu!"

"He doesn't have to, Chouji. Its telekinesis." Shikamaru said, now more irritated than bored.

"Telekinesis?"

"Control over inanimate objects through the power of the mind." Udon smiled again, before boulders began to tear themselves from the streets, then hurling themselves at Shikamaru. Temari drew her fan, and with an intense blast of wind, deflected the boulders.

"Use your telekinesis all you want, the fight ends the same. Shadow Strangle!" Shikamaru cried, and a shadowy hand crawled up Udon's body, reaching for his throat. The hand stopped moving, and then the shadows retreated altogether as the earth under Shikamaru's feet was torn from under him.

"You can't win, the earth underneath your feet, the buildings around us. They are all my weapons. A limitless supply of things to destroy you with, all at a minimal cost of chakra."

"Chouji, he's no ordinary kid. Take extreme caution when fighting him!" Shikamaru shouted. Chouji nodded, and turned to face Udon.

"Expansion Jutsu!" Chouji shouted, taking on his particularly round transformation. "Human Boulder! BAROOOOM!!" He leapt into the air, and began spinning rapidly towards Udon.

"Udon, he has little control over his movements. Don't waste any chakra avoiding." Kimimaro said calmly, and Udon easily sidestepped then focused his attention on the others.

"BAROOOM!" Chouji cried as he bounced into the air, stopped spinning momentarily, and then began spinning backwards.

"Udon!" Kimimaro said as he dashed in, rushing Udon out of Chouji's path just moments before Chouji would have crushed him.

"An observer, huh? Should've known not to trust one of Orochimaru's men." Kankuro spat.

"Does that mean your friends cannot trust you? Like it or not, you were once one of Orochimaru's subjects."

"Shut your mouth." Temari said angrily, before swinging her fan in a wide arc, blasting it towards Kimimaro and Udon. Kimimaro, still holding onto Udon, leapt away. While in Kimimaro's arms, Udon glared at Temari, and hundreds of kunai shot from all directions from the various corpses lying in the street. The involuntary defense of the shukaku's sand shield swiftly rose up, forming a rock hard barrier around Temari. "Didn't you ever see my brother fight? We told you, I'm the new container of the one-tailed demon."

"That's right, there is a freak among our enemies, Udon." Kimimaro said softly.

"What did you call my sister?" Kankuro said angrily.

"You heard me, puppet boy." Kankuro scowled.

"That's right, I've heard all about your techniques from Orochimaru's sources. If there is one thing Orochimaru is, it is informed."

"You guys deal with the kid, this guy is mine." Kankuro said angrily. He crossed his arms over his chest, his hands spread wide, each finger grasping a chakra string. Two puppets sprang from his back, and rushed at Kimimaro, who stood his ground. Karasu proceeded to draw a weapon in each arm, swinging them rapidly at Kimimaro. Without flinching, or moving at all, it seemed, bones grew from Kimimaro's body at odd angles, preventing the blades from ever reaching his skin. Kankuro stopped his assault, and looked oddly at Kimimaro. Karasu stood between Kimimaro and Kankuro.

"What kind of technique is that?" Kankuro asked, shocked.

"My kekkai-genkai."

"A kekkai-genkai?"

"Yes, I fuse my chakra with the calcium in my bones, making them both flexible and strong. I can also regenerate them at will, and so I can use them as weapons, like this." He reached behind his head, grabbed onto something, and then pulled away, revealing a long, white sword made of bone.

"You…you removed your spine to make a weapon, that's not possible."

"It is with my kekkai-genkai. Are you done wasting my time with your little puppet, or do I need to kill you now?"

"I'm far from done." Kankuro replied. Karasu rushed forward, and Kimimaro glared emotionlessly.

"Alright Shikamaru, you're the brains of this operation. What do we do now?" Chouji asked.

"You buy me time." Shikamaru sunk into his thinking posture, and closed his eyes.

"Can do, boss! BAROOOOOM!" Chouji shouted, barreling towards Udon. He raised a shield of solid rock from the earth, forming a solid barrier between himself and Chouji. Chouji barreled away, spinning and grinding against the stone. The rock wall burst, and dozens of kunai jetted towards Chouji's spinning form. Barely audible from inside his spinning form, Chouji shouted out. "Body Transformation! Steel Skin!" The kunai bounced off Chouji as his skin took on a silvery sheen.

"My father taught me that one before Konaha was invaded!" Chouji shouted proudly as Udon leapt to the side.

"What kind of technique is your friend preparing for that he's taking so long to perform?" Udon asked as he began to move towards Shikamaru.

"Not a technique, he's working on a strategy!" Chouji shouted.

"No strategy will save you, my jutsu is unbeatable." Udon moved his eyes towards a nearby building before ripping off a chunk of the wall and slamming it into Chouji.

"Fine then, how does a technique grab you?" Shikamaru said as he opened his eyes.

"Are you attempting a play on words? Your shadow strangle won't work on me, we've already gone over that." Udon replied before battering Chouji with the wall again. It slammed into him harmlessly, but diverted his path away from Udon.

"I don't play when it comes to fighting."

"Well you have barely begun to fight. Your friend will be dead before you've made an effective move." Udon taunted.

"Don't worry boss, I'm fine! BAROOOOM!" Chouji shouted, rolling towards Udon.

"When I begin to fight, it's over."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, and by the way…" Shikamaru stood up from his stance. "It's over." He clasped his hands together and began cycling through hand signs.

Karasu issued forth a stream of green gas, which Kimimaro leapt backwards to avoid.

"Now you're mine." Kankuro said angrily. Kimimaro continued to avoid backwards from the hazardous poison, and Kankuro allowed himself a grin. "Just a little further…" he said under his breath. Kankuro's second puppet sprang from the earth, opening it's torso wide, and Kimimaro leapt backwards, straight inside. His expression changed from boredom to slight interest as the chamber shut with him inside. "I will teach you to insult my family. Puppet Theatre! Black Secret Technique Machine One Shot!" Karasu's body separated into dozens of long swords and knives, which then scattered and shot for Kuroari's body. Slits opened in the side of Kuroari, just wide enough for Karasu's blades. The blades shot in, and stopped, several inches each from having the hilt make contact with the box. The swords began to be pushed out from the inside, screeching against the puppet's frame, before clanging against the ground. The frame began to splinter, before it shattered completely. Kimimaro was standing up straight, his form completely altered. His skin was a reddish brown, and bony protrusions extended all over his body, as well as a tail that began as flesh, ending in a long, whip-like extension of bone.

" Kuroari…" Kankuro stammered.

"Are you done?" Kimimaro asked, glaring at Kankuro.

"Karasu!" Kankuro shouted, and the blades formed back into their original shape, then rushed at Kimimaro.

"Your time is at an end, puppet boy, and I will not give you any more chances to spare your life. You, and all of your friends are going to die here." Kimimaro rushed forward, slapping Karasu aside with his tail.

"What do you mean it's over? This whole fight, you and the oaf have been struggling to even combat my technique, and all of a sudden you think you can end the fight?"

"Kid, you haven't ever seen jutsu at this level. Heck, I've only seen it done once myself."

"My jutsu is unbeatable, Orochimaru himself trained me!"

"Well, if your jutsu is unbeatable, you've got nothing to worry about." Shikamaru finished his hand signs. "Shadow Release! Eternal Darkness! Total Eclipse Technique!" A black circle in the sky passed in front of the sun, blotting out the light. Shikamaru's eyes held a black glow, and his vision had never been better.

"So you've made it dark, hardly a noteworthy accomplishment!" Udon shouted.

"Shikamaru, when did you have time to practice that?" Chouji shouted out.

"Now, for the second half of my father's jutsu. The Nara legacy lives on. Shadow Release! Shadow Underworld Technique!" Spectral creatures pulled themselves from the ground, ambling slowly for Udon, who didn't appear to be able to see at all. "Your master survived this jutsu, when my father used it. Let's see how you fare." Shikamaru said forcefully.

"Your puppets will have to wait." Kimimaro said as he whipped his tail at Karasu's chest, breaking it's form. He rushed over towards Udon, standing in front of him protectively. "Udon, I am here. Do not fear these creatures."

"I'm not afraid." Udon said, his inner child showing more so now than ever as he grabbed onto Kimimaro's vest and quivered, looking around randomly for some hope of light. The shadowy creatures slowly moved towards Kimimaro and Udon as Kimimaro walked slowly backwards, silently urging Udon to retreat.

"This technique is quite interesting, and I have been forewarned. Orochimaru suspected you might have had the foresight to watch your father's hands when he used the technique, if he hadn't taught it to you already." Kimimaro's bony tail swung over his head and around in a wide arc, slicing several of the creatures in two. Their separated torsos hung eerily in midair before slowly reattaching themselves to their lower halves.

"Then you should know that attacking them is useless."

"Keeping an indestructible enemy at bay, when your mission is to ensure the survival of another, is not a useless act." Kimimaro replied as he grabbed onto Udon, before leaping backwards. His sharp tail led the way as he cleared a landing spot.

"Delaying the inevitable then."

"You, little leaf shinobi, are not your father. Your chakra reserves are not that of your father. Your jutsu will end long before my muscles tire out, or your creatures overwhelm me."

_He's right, my chakra will be running low soon. I need to wrap this up somehow, but dad never showed me how to control the shades! What a drag…_

"Shikamaru, this technique is a bit of a double edged sword! I can't see anything!" Temari shouted.

"Don't worry, I can see everything clearly. He's got his work cut out for him, he doesn't have time to counter-attack."

"If you say so…" Temari sighed.

"How long will your chakra last, child?" Kimimaro taunted as he continued to individually destroy Shikamaru's shades.

"Long enough." Shikamaru began to think, and think hard. _At this rate, I've got another minute or two, tops. Keeping that "moon" in front of the sun isn't easy on your chakra reserves…Think, Shikamaru, think. What would dad have done? _

"Soon, Orochimaru's victory will be complete, and my greatest purpose will be as well."

"You mean you live only to serve Orochimaru?" Chouji shouted out.

"Orochimaru's will is my purpose." Kimimaro said as he nimbly avoided and dismantled several shades simultaneously

_Think Shikamar, think…_

"Is that what he's done to these kids? Left them alone in the dark until a twisted freak like Orochimaru is their only hope for light in their lives?" Chouji shouted into the darkness.

_Come on, Shikamaru, think…_

"Lord Orochimaru is a noble man, he took me in as a child, after my clan was decimated, and gave me purpose."

"That's it." Shikamaru said as he pulled a knife from his pouch. He slowly drew a line with the knife across his hand, then allowing the blood to drip across the ground. One of the shades pulled itself from the ground, and stood in front of Shikamaru for a long moment. It lowered a hand to the ground where Shikamaru's blood began to pool, and the blood began to be sucked into its palm. It grew in size, and gained more defined features. It gained something similar to eyes, which glowed a deep blue as chakra drifted upward from them. It faded downward, into the ground, before reappearing nearby Kimimaro. As Kimimaro continued his slashing fury, this stronger shade grabbed Kimimaro's blade, with surprising strength, judging from the look in Kimimaro's eyes. Several more shades disappeared from Kimimaro's side, reappearing next to Shikamaru, drawing upon the blood Shikamaru was still dripping on the ground.

"What is this?" Kimimaro said angrily as he allowed the bone sword to diminish, before creating another.

"You said you were warned about this technique. You should know exactly what's going on. This is what happened to Orochimaru's arms."

"These shadows are fueled by blood, not just the enemies, but the user of the jutsu's as well…" Kimimaro said in shock. Dozens of the shades had gone to Shikamaru's side, drawing from the strength of their master. Kimimaro drew a second sword from his arm, wielding both of them fluidly in combination with his tail, attacking the shades with lightning speed. These stronger shades did not recoil from his blade, taking the hits, and continuing their attacks while their shadowy forms healed instantly.

"Orochimaru was your master, and he couldn't stop this technique. What makes you think that you can?" Shikamaru said angrily.

"Orochimaru did not have the curse mark, or a kekkai-genkai. Dance of the Seedling Fern!" Kimimaro shouted, and known only to Shikamaru, a forest of bone spikes began to rise from the earth.

"CHOUJI, TEMARI, KANKURO! RUN, GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Shikamaru shouted, while he cut his other hand, drawing more of the shades to his side, to gain more power. The bone forest shot from the ground as the others escaped, and several of Shikamaru's shades were impaled on the spikes. They would cause part of their body to become incorporeal, slipping away from the bones, and moving towards Kimimaro. The shades began to move faster, sliding across the ground instead of ambling slowly. Kimimaro began to move into one of the bone spikes, before disappearing, then reappearing in another one, removing the head of one of the shades, then teleporting away. He appeared on top of one of the larger spikes, glaring across his forest at Shikamaru. He began to run nimbly across the spikes, bounding and leaping across as he closed the ground towards Shikamaru. The shades leapt up at him, landing spectral claws on Kimimaro's tail and feet. A dozen or more shades had latched onto Kimimaro as he sped across the bone spikes. A single, long, white bone sword was held in his right hand, clearly intended for Shikamaru. He ignored the blood being drained from his body as the shades sucked his life through his skin. He coughed blood several times, but swallowed hard and kept moving. He faded into a bone spike halfway across the forest, before reappearing directly in front of Shikamaru, sword drawn backwards for a powerful thrust. He stopped moving there, his eyes lifeless, blood dripping across his mouth and chin. The curse seal had faded, and his body held its position until the spikes faded, a full minute after Kimimaro ceased moving. Shikamaru's eclipse faded, and the sun lit up the field. The shades burst into flames upon being touched by the sun's rays, and disappeared, leaving no trace behind. Shikamaru fell back into a seated position, his eyes felt heavy, and he slumped backwards. Chouji looked around, and Udon was nowhere to be found.

Review it...you know you want to! C'mon!! Thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19 I Won't Hurt You

Hey folks! Here i am, all settled in at college, and who would've guessed, I've got enough time that i wrote the new chapter in two days! Naru/Hina fans rejoice!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your continued devotion to the story, we hit 100 reviews with the last chapter! Thanks guys, I'm really glad you've enjoyed them! It means so much to me...sniff

Anyway! The shit hits the fan as Orochimaru unleashes the final two of his new pupils, targeting Naruto and Hinata, which perhaps makes this the most sinister of his twisted schemes! Enjoy guys!

"Sakon, Ukon, your mission is to ensure the survival of my two newest pupils."

"Lord Orochimaru, why send us on a mission to ensure their survival? The two of us are much more suited for the combat with the two leaf ninja you are targeting, given our kekkai-genkai and their deep care for each other."

"The purpose of this mission is not necessarily to kill them, it is to rattle them and disturb them to the point of failure. You have your mission, see to it that you do not fail."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

"Good, I knew you would see it my way." Orochimaru grinned.

--

"Naruto, you can't let people like them get to you. Their village is full of prejudice, if we got even one other major village, they'd never work with us because of their hatred of kekai-genkai."

"I guess you're right, but guys like them still make me mad! Damn cowards won't even return the favor when someone saves their ass!"

"Oh, Naruto…" Hinata sighed as she grabbed onto his hand and leaned into his shoulder as they walked away from the Hidden Mist Village.

"Let's just go back to see our friends. It's been too long."

"It's only been two months. If there were a lot of missions you could go that long without seeing them anyway. Besides, I've enjoyed all the alone time we've had."

"Hinata, I'd have gone mad being alone all this time if it weren't for you." Hinata's face lit up as she squeezed his hand tighter in both of her own hands.

A few nights later, just as they made camp in the Land of Fire for the first time, Naruto and Hinata sat on a log, watching the fire burn, Naruto holding Hinata against his body, Hinata's eyes closed peacefully. Hinata's eyes opened suddenly, a surprised look in her eyes.

"Naruto, was that you?"

"Was what me?"

"I heard a footstep…and a twig cracking."

"It's probably a fox or something. Don't worry about it."

"Naruto, there it was again, except it was louder, and closer to the camp."

"It's just an animal, don't worry about it. Just go back to sleep."

"Is this who you were protecting?" A quiet whisper came from around the camp.

"Who's there?" Naruto said as he stood slowly. Hinata clinged to his side.

A decidedly more female voice whispered this time. "Is this who you were with when you left me to die?"

"Show yourself! Don't be cowards!" Naruto shouted into the darkness.

"Were you protecting her when they came to the village?" The first voice could be deciphered slightly better now, it was male, and a child. The fire was extinguished in a shower of sparks, and Hinata buried herself into Naruto's chest.

"Naruto…"

"Hinata don't be afraid." Naruto whispered into her ear. "Who's there? Tell me!" Naruto summoned strength from within himself, and his eyes glowed red, allowing him to see into the darkness. He could barely make out two shadowy figures.

"You left me to die, Hinata." The female voice said angrily.

"Naruto, I think I recognize that voice, but it's been so long, I'm not sure…"

"Tell me, Naruto, were you protecting her when you should have been protecting me?"

"I looked up to you, like you were my older brother!" The voice was louder now, distinguished. Naruto spun on his heel, pulling a fist back, then extending it out with a violent shout. He stopped short with a shocked look in his eyes. Konohamaru stood strong against the impending blow, not even blinking.

"Kono…Konohamaru…" Naruto said as he took a few slow steps backward.

"That's right, Naruto. You left me for DEAD!" Konohamaru shouted in Naruto's face. He lurched out with a punch, connecting with Naruto's nose. Naruto fell backwards, end over end, until he came to a stop in the dirt, face down.

"Konohamaru, if you knew what I went through that day, you wouldn't be talking."

"SHUT UP! I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU! I CARE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!" Konohamaru shouted as he leapt high into the air, rearing a fist back before crashing down where Naruto had been a moment before, after rolling over quickly. Naruto hopped to his feet in time to catch Konohamaru's fist in his hand. He recoiled from the blow, shaking his palm, surprised at Konohamaru's strength.

"You're…strong, how did you get so strong?"

"Lord Orochimaru has been training me night and day since the invasion."

"Orochimaru? LORD? You do understand that Orochimaru orchestrated the invasion, right?"

"Lord Orochimaru saved me! He killed the ninja that were attacking the students! Where were you, Naruto?" Konohamaru leapt forward again, and Naruto avoided his attack by flipping onto his hands, then back to his feet.

"Fighting to save my own life!" Naruto shouted as he ducked under a kick from Konohamaru.

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted out as Hanabi walked out of the tall grass. Her eyes glared with hatred.

"Hold on!" Naruto said without looking back, not realizing the dilemma she was in.

"Hanabi, you look so angry, whats wrong?" Hinata said as she slowly walked backwards.

"They told me where you were."

"What are you talking about?"

"Lord Orochimaru's men told me where you were, when you could have been saving me."

"What? I was in the hospital, Hanabi…"

"Saving your friend Lee, while you could have been saving me!"

"Hanabi, I was in the hospital. Neji and Tenten saved Lee and I…"

"And father…father saved you. Father rushed to your side, to save you. He left me for you, his favorite daughter. Hinata, the favorite child, who got beaten into a pulp by her own jutsu."

"Hanabi…" Hinata held her hands up in an effort to distance herself from her sister.

"That never would have happened if it was me, fighting, how could you possibly get defeated by your own jutsu? You should know its inner workings, how to defeat it! And yet father chose you anyway…"

"Hanabi, if that's true then Neji would fall into the same weakness-"

"Shut up! Damn father, damn you, and damn the prodigy!" Hanabi activated her Byakugan, and walked menacingly forward to Hinata.

"Hanabi…You wouldn't…It's me, Hinata…"

"I'm completely aware of who I'm about to destroy, sister." Hinata looked at her sister, more scared than she had been in a very long time.

"Come on, Naruto. Why won't you fight back?"

"I'm not going to hurt you, Konohamaru, you don't know what you're doing! Orochimaru has used some sort of mind-control jutsu on you!"

"I've never been thinking so clearly. I looked up to you, and I thought you liked me. I thought we were friends, but you never wanted to hang out or train together!"

"Konohamaru, that's because I was always on missions! We were friends! We still can be friends."

"No, Naruto, that time has passed. Now fight me, or die!" Konohamaru shouted as he summoned a ball of flame to his right palm before hurling it at Naruto. Naruto's eyes went wide as he bent over backwards to avoid the blast.

"Where did you learn that technique?"

"It's not so different from Sasuke's chidori, or your father's technique, the rasengan. It's just fire chakra instead of lightning, or air. Techniques like that aren't hard to learn to some one with real talent. Now, are you going to fight me, Naruto?"

"I won't fight you, Konohamaru! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as he summoned a dozen clones to his side. They all rushed at Konohamaru, grabbing onto his limps, trying to pin him to the ground. They took him down with numbers and strength alone, and held him on the ground. Konohamaru struggled valiantly, but against twelve Narutos, his strength was no match. "Konohamaru, you don't have to do this. You don't have to fight me. Orochimaru killed your grandfather. Help me, and we can get back at him for what he did to Konaha!" Naruto leaned over and offered a hand to the child. Konohamaru looked sullen for a moment, then reached up to grab Naruto's hand. Naruto smiled as Konohamaru grasped his hand firmly. Konohamaru spit in Naruto's face as his eye's began to glow orange. Naruto cried out as he rubbed the spit from his eyes, and when he looked back at Konohamaru, his body was covered in orange flames. Naruto's face lit up with pain as his hand began to burn. He tried to pull away from Konohamaru's grip, but to no avail. Several clones leapt at Konohamaru, instantly disappearing after being hit by the flames. The other clones ran to Naruto's back, grabbing onto his clothes as he screamed in pain. They pulled him out of Konohamaru's grasp, and Naruto held his hand in pain.

"So, Naruto, will you fight me now?"

"No, Konohamaru! I won't hurt you! You're just a kid, you don't know what you're doing!"

"You're assuming you could hurt me. Orochimaru taught me this jutsu himself. He says I'm the strongest pupil he's taken on in years. But fine, if you don't want to fight me, so be it." Konohamaru finished with a sadistic grin.

Hanabi poked and stabbed out at Hinata violently, spinning and thrusting with incredible speed. It was all Hinata could do just to avoid the attacks. She couldn't have managed a counter attack if she'd wanted to, off balance as she was.

"Hanabi, stop it, you don't want to hurt me…I'm your sister…"

"That is where you're wrong, because I do want to hurt you. I want to crush you so that you can go see father in the after life and he will see which daughter he should have saved!" Hanabi kept up her assault, very nearly striking Hinata several times. Hinata continued moving backwards, before tripping over what had once been the fire. She looked at Hanabi in fear once more as her sister stood over her, rearing back with two glowing finger tips. "Gentle Fist Art, Eight Trigrams! One-hundred-" She was cut off as Naruto tackled her around the waste, flying away from Hinata as they went. She struck once hard between his shoulder blades, and he vanished in a puff of smoke. "A clone? How innocent of you, and how noble, to protect the one you love. It's a shame Hinata doesn't know what it means to protect those you supposedly love."

"Hanabi, I could barely get myself out of the village…"

"FATHER DIDN'T ESCAPE! He sacrificed himself for your perfect, little, worthless hide!"

"Hanabi…" Hinata began to tear up.

"Don't think his clones will save you any longer. I won't let that happen again." Hanabi cracked her neck to the left, then to the right, and a grimace crossed her face as eye-shaped black marks began to crawl across her body, starting at her neck.

"Hanabi, what did they do to you…"

"That's Orochimaru's curse mark. I recognize it from Sasuke…That monster defiles and corrupts everything and everyone he touches!"

"SHUT UP NARUTO! Lord Orochimaru saved us, and that's more than you can say!" Konohamaru summoned balls of fire in both hands before hurling them at the knucklehead ninja.

"Why won't you fight, big sister? Still trying to remain on your pedestal of purity, even though the worthlessness of your existence has been exposed!?"

"Hanabi, I'm sorry you're so angry but there was nothing I could have done!"

"Fight me, Naruto!" Konohamaru said as he leapt into the sky, fiery trails following his feet as he flew around, throwing balls of fire at Naruto. Naruto ducked and tumbled, narrowly avoiding blast after blast.

"Stop, Konohamaru! It's not too late for you to stop this!"

"It's too late for you, Naruto!"

"Naruto…" Hinata gasped as Hanabi leaned over her older sister, both hands gripping her throat tightly.

"Hinata fight back! Your stronger than she is, just fight back!"

"Take your own advice, Naruto! FIGHT ME!" He shouted as he lifted both hands above his head, summoning a massive ball of fire.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted.

"Na..ru..to.." Hinata whispered.

"NARUTO!" Konohamaru shouted. The ball of fire began to move towards the ground slowly, casting long shadows through the camp.

"Hinata…Konohamaru…" Naruto looked around in distress, first to Hinata as the life was choked out of her, and then to Konohamaru, and then to the fireball descending onto him. He cried out in anger, grasping his head and closing his eyes.

_Welcome back, Naruto. It has been some time since we saw each other. _Naruto opened his eyes to see the dank dungeon within his mind. The cage remained broken and shattered, and yet Kyuubi remained on the opposite side.

"I don't need to ask you for power anymore." Naruto said defiantly.

_Don't you? _Kyuubi asked with a grin.

"No, I took it from you. The strength is mine."

_Then by all means, take it. _Naruto looked at Kyuubi, and then to the ground, then back at Kyuubi.

"Why do I need to ask for the strength? I took it from you, it should be mine!" Naruto shouted out.

Didn't it strike you just a little bit funny that I gave you the strength so willingly, without even attempting to resist?

"Enough with your games. Why did you give it to me?"

I gave you the power because you wanted to use it out of hatred. At Konaha, when you stood against your father, it was hatred of Orochimaru. In the outskirts of the Land of Fire, when Jiraiya revealed to you the secret he had been keeping, it was rage against his deception. In the Village of the Hidden Mist, your hatred of Itachi for what he had done to Sasuke, and Sakura.

"Give it to me, I need it now."

Foolish boy, I do not care what you need. I will give you power when you seek to take what you want, and are willing to use force to gain what you desire.

"You let me believe I had the power whenever I needed it. Right now, Hinata is dying! She needs me, and to save her, I need the power!"

I do not care if your woman is in need of your aid. I do not care about needs; I care about wants, your rage, and your hatred, Naruto. Show me your hatred, and I will give you the power willingly, just to see what you will do with it.

"I hate Orochimaru, for what he did to the third hokage, to Sasuke, to my father, to konahamaru, and everything else he's done that I don't know about."

You can do better than that. Your just talking. Pure, essential rage is what I want, Naruto.

"She needs me! Damn you! Damn you and your mind games, your tricks and your deception! Damn you, Kyuubi, I don't need your power. I will save her with my own. Enjoy your cell." Naruto turned around to leave the dungeon within his mind, stomping angrily down the hall.

_That's more like it…_Kyuubi whispered as Naruto stormed off.

The fireball descended as Naruto doubled over, unaware that he had been given what he had sought. He stood up straight, and then reared back, his arms spread wide as he shouted. His fingernails grew to claws, then his teeth to fangs. He looked up at Konohamaru's fireball, took a deep breath, and roared. Waves of fury seemed to be ushered forth from his mouth, halting the fireball in its track, before dispersing it completely. Konohamaru looked downward angrily, having not yet seen Naruto's new form.

Naruto's voice had became deep, more of a bellow, and was full of rage. "You want a fight Konohamaru, then you've got it." Naruto shouted, still hidden behind the distorting wall of dissipating fire. Naruto reached back with one hand, then thrust it out towards Hanabi. A glowing, red, clawed hand and arm shot from his palm, stretching towards the two sisters. His hand grabbed her entire torso, tearing her from her vice-like grip on Hinata. He lifted her high into the air before slamming her down into the ground, and dragging her across the landscape. He threw her limp form straight up at Konohamaru, who released his fire transformation to catch him without injuring her. The momentum of Hanabi's limp body thudding into him knocked him over in midair, and the two began to fall together.

"Iron Hide Jutsu!" Konohamaru cried, and his skin took on an iron sheen. He wrapped Hanabi in his arms as he let his back take the impact. He let her body slide off of his before standing. What he saw was not the Naruto to which he was accustomed. Five glowing tails sprouted from his waist, and he stood bent halfway, his claws almost touching the ground. He moved up and down slightly with each breath, inhaling and exhaling with a hint of a feral snarl. "What…what are you?"

"You haven't a clue, kid. This is what happened to me the day of the invasion. Do you really want more details?" Konohamaru looked at his one time friend in horror as the blood red chakra drifted away from his feral form.

"No, this is genjutsu. You can't possibly be this strong!"

"You wanted a fight, Konohamaru. You didn't change your mind, did you?" Kyuubi's hissing influence could be heard behind Naruto's voice, the two speaking in unison.

"Fine! Fight me, Naruto! Fire Skin Jutsu!" Konohamaru was once again wreathed in his burning flames, and Naruto could only grin. Naruto exploded into motion, charging at Konohamaru, and Konohamaru leapt straight up, taking flight. Naruto gave chase, flying into the air at unthinkable speed. Konohamaru put on quite a show, using several aerial acrobatics to evade the furious Naruto. As he flew backwards, he shot jets of flame from his hands, causing Naruto to fall back to earth to avoid, before leaping back up. Naruto paused briefly on the ground, throwing his arm of red chakra at Konohamaru, who twisted to avoid the deadly claw. Naruto leapt high into the air, above Konohamaru, falling straight down at him.

"I've got you now, Naruto!" Konohamaru shouted, forcing jets of flame out of both hands, aimed straight at Naruto's chest. Naruto grimaced, and the two jets of flame crashed into his body. His disappeared in a puff of smoke. "A clone…" Konohamaru said, almost in shock. Naruto's skull collided with Konohamaru's back as his eyes went wide, and his back arched. He flew higher into the air as Naruto landed, and leapt again. Soaring higher than Konohamaru was drifting, Naruto began his descent, rolling over once in midair, driving his heel into Konohamaru's stomach. Konohamaru coughed blood as he rocketed towards the ground, landing with a heavy crash. He lay motionless as Naruto thudded into the ground on all fours next to him. Naruto stood straight with an angry gaze, and reached his hand back, summoning the chakra to create the extendable arm. He lurched forward, about to strike.

"Stop!" A voice called from behind him. It was unfamiliar. Naruto jerked his head around angrily, bearing his fangs and growling. Sakon stood over Hinata, pointing at her.

"My brother is using his kekkai-genkai right now, and he is inhabiting her body. If he chose to do so, he could kill her in seconds, and the only way to stop him would be to destroy the body he is using as a host." Hinata lay on the ground, her eyes closed, helpless. Naruto growled again. "Stop your attack, and do not harm me, or the two children, or my brother will kill her. We will leave here, and let you both live."

"How can I trust you? You're one of Orochimaru's henchmen."

"That's true, but I am a ninja, and I am on a mission to ensure the survival of these two children." Sakon looked calmly at Naruto. "Regardless of that, you have no choice. I could be bluffing about even having a brother, but can you risk it? You won't make a move against me, because you love her. A useless emotion, but at the moment it serves my purposes." Naruto sighed in defeat as he watched Sakon walk to Hanabi, and then to Konohamaru, lifting them into his arms in turn. He walked some fifty feet from the camp, and spoke. "Ukon, it's time to go." The nearly identical twin pulled himself out of Hinata's body, before running swiftly to Sakon's side. He proceeded to assimilate himself into Sakon's body, and Sakon began to walk away. "As much as I would have loved to kill both of you, those aren't my orders. You made a wise choice, little demon fox." Naruto snarled as he disappeared into the darkness. The chakra fell from Naruto's side as he walked to Hinata's side. She was breathing softly, almost as if she was sleeping, and appeared to have no injuries whatsoever, not even bruises around her neck where Hanabi had choked her.

"He healed her wounds while inside you…he definitely could have killed you. I'm glad I didn't risk it." He picked up Hinata and carried her to the tent that was already set up before laying her gently into his own open sleeping bag. He then walked out of the tent, sat on a log, and relit the fire, gazing into it's randomly moving shape for hours to come.

Huh? HUH?! How was it? Let me know! Review, please and thank you! Next goal is 200 reviews, so let's get cracking, guys!


	20. Chapter 20 Reunion

Alright guys! Here we are, chapter 20! If you hadn't noticed already, this story has hit 100 reviews! I'm so happy! Thank you guys so much for your devotion to the story! You guys rock, I couldn't do it without you! The reviews really make this all worthwhile, even the ones as simple as "Great chapter, update soon" or "please have my babies". They make it so gratifying! Anyway, thanks for reading guys, I really appreciate it!

So, I've started to do a bit of a summary thing at the beginning of my chapters, just cuz it's kinda fun. Gives you a clue as to what goes on, as well as a bit of a wrap up from the last one.

The group has all escaped Orochimaru's and Akatsuki's clutches, and are headed back for the land of fire. Naruto and Hinata struggle with the thought of battling those they treated as brothers and sister; Sasuke and Lee mourn the loss of Raiden and Yugito, and grow to hate akatsuki and orochimaru even more; while Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, along with their new partners in crime, Temari and Konkuro, recover from their battle with Udon and Kimimaro, from which Shikamaru has yet to wake up! What will happen next? Oh, the suspense is killing me! I guess I'll just let you guys read. Enjoy!

"The others are late…" Sasuke said as he and Lee sat on chairs in the tavern they had left the day the group split up.

"Yes, noticeably so! It has been three days we have been waiting here, and we were a day late ourselves!" Lee said as he stood up and paced across the floor. "Sasuke, do you think something may have happened to them?"

"I'm sure something happened to them, just like things happened to us. The number of organizations that hate us is beginning to grow. Orochimaru and his men, akatsuki, and now the Village Hidden in Stone isn't too friendly either, now that they've allied with Orochimaru."

"We should go find them!" Lee shouted as he turned to Sasuke.

'I don't think that's a good idea, we can't really look for all of them at the same time without going it alone, and then if we did go looking, one of the other groups might get back here, and be worried because they think we are late."

"I see your point. I just do not like standing around and waiting, doing nothing!"

"Well Lee, there is one thing we could do to pass the time." Sasuke said with a light heartedness not often found in Sasuke's tone. Lee beamed back at him.

"Chidori!" Sasuke shouted an hour later as he rushed across the field at Lee. (NO I was not making Sasuke and Lee gay for each other, how dare you think that! Actually it was the first thing I thought of after writing that, I hope there wasn't any misconceptions haha) Lee stood his ground, in his typical stance, waiting for the attack to come. He sidestepped quickly around Sasuke, striking out once at Sasuke's back. Sasuke leaned forward and fell into a roll, which he leapt out of, and landed facing Lee. They grinned at each other before continuing.

"Sasuke, I know you have been developing a new technique! Show it to me!" Lee said as the two stood face to face, matching each other with various taijutsu strikes, parries, and counters.

"You really want to see it, then?" Sasuke said as he lashed out with a head level kick, which Lee avoided by dropping into a crouch. He popped back up to standing and the two commenced their battle.

"It would be my honor to be the first test subject of your attack!" Lee shouted back.

"Alright then, you've got it. It's a little difficult to control at the moment, but sure." Sasuke leapt back away from Lee, standing straight up. He bent over double, and fell to his knees as bony protrusions grew from his shoulders. The wings exploded from his back, stretching to their full span. His hair was white, the wings were black, and his expression was that of a rush. "I'll never get used to that." Lee smiled determinedly, looking back at him, ready for the attack. Sasuke, crouched, then leapt straight up, his wings folded tight at his side. He brought a chidori to his right hand, and then the fiery chidori to his left hand. He had a look of extreme focus while maintaining both of these jutsu. He reared both hands back until his arms were level with his shoulders. "How did you know I'd been training a new technique, anyway?"

"You are not the only one who trains by moonlight, Sasuke." Sasuke nodded, and resumed his focus. He abruptly forced the two jutsu together, and it formed a sphere between his two palms. He slowly rotated his hands from being on opposite sides of the sphere, to both being between himself and the dense ball of chakra, holding it at arm's length. He rotated his wrists so that they touched, his fingers grasping either side of the sphere, and he closed his eyes.

"Does this technique have a name, Sasuke?"

"It doesn't. I haven't gotten that far." Sasuke pulled his arms in tight to his chest while holding the same form, letting the sphere remain where it was. He suddenly forced his hands outward, forcing an intense amount of chakra to go through the sphere, and it erupted into a brilliantly colored beam of fire and lightning chakra. The colors swirled together as the beam rocketed towards Lee. He leapt aside as the beam crashed into the earth, searing the ground it touched. Sasuke began to turn his body, and the beam followed his will, following Lee's movements slowly.

"That is some technique indeed, but you will have difficulty striking an opponent with that!" Lee said as he outpaced the beam by jogging.

"I don't intend to use it against an opponent."

"Then what good is it?"

"I intend to bring Orochimaru's home down over his head." Lee nodded solemnly as Sasuke released the beam, dropping to earth as he allowed his wings to fade.

Boredom found Lee and Sasuke sparring each day until Naruto and Hinata arrived, two days after Sasuke unveiled his technique.

"Sasuke! Lee! Any luck with recruiting?"

"The Land of Lightning is with us, even more so now that Orochimaru's allies had a hand in the death of the Raikage's two children."

"You're kidding…" Hinata said sadly.

"No." Sasuke said. "Two ninja dressed similar to my brother attacked us while we were at the land of lightning, but we won, and they attacked once again when we were at the land hidden in stone, this time claiming the lives of Yugito and Raiden, the raikage's children, who had traveled with us to stone. It turns out that stone is allied with Orochimaru, but won't likely get involved in the war unless Orochimaru makes his move, because their Kage is dead as well."

"Wow… Sasuke you didn't leave much less than rubble behind you, huh?" Naruto said as he smiled, closed his eyes, and rubbed the back of his head.

"I didn't kill the Tsuchikage, one of the two that had followed us from lightning did."

"Oh…Well, the land of waves has signed on, but they don't have any formally trained ninja just yet. We also found a small underground resistance led by Ibiki Morino, and the land of waves is sending their people there to be trained."

"And how did it go in mist?" Sasuke asked. Naruto clenched his fist and began to speak when Hinata placed a hand on his chest and interjected.

"They weren't as receptive, and Naruto is having a tough time not being angry with them." Hinata said with a smile.

"I see."

"And we met up with your brother." Sasuke's eyes snapped to attention as he glared at Naruto.

"Naruto…I don't know how much control you have over the demon inside you, but if you killed Itachi…"

"I didn't kill him, I barely fought him. As soon as I fought back, he and his friend ran off."

"Alright." Sasuke said as he calmed down a little. "Good. If you see him again, Naruto, don't kill him. He's mine…"

"I cared about Sakura too, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.

"This isn't just about Sakura, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted back.

"Then what is it about you and him, Sasuke? Why do you want to kill him? We've been friends since we graduated and I hardly know anything about you!"

"He killed my entire family, Naruto! He killed my entire family, and left me there, alive! I walked in on him as he killed my mother and father!" Naruto's eyes went wide and he took a step back. "Are you happy now, Naruto? Now you know." Sasuke said as he walked away.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Well now you do." Sasuke said as he stopped walking. He turned back around and walked towards the group. "Have you guys seen Shikamaru's group?"

"No, they aren't back yet?" Naruto asked.

"We thought they must have been back already." Hinata said quietly.

"No, they aren't. Do you think something happened to them?"

"Well, they were going to Sunahagakure, where Orochimaru once ruled, so it is possible that he found them!" Lee said loudly.

"Shikamaru and Chouji are strong, but against Orochimaru…They just don't have that kind of strength." Naruto said as he hung his head. The group looked at the ground as they stood in a circle in the center of the little village, imagining what Orochimaru would've done if he'd found them.

"What's wrong, guys?" Chouji said as they strolled into the village.

"CHOUJI!" Naruto shouted as he ran over. "You guys are alright! Wait, Temari? Konkuro?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, we decided to come with Shikamaru and Chouji."

"Wait, where is Shikamaru?" Hinata asked.

"Oh, well Orochimaru sent some people to try and reclaim the village." Temari said sadly. Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke and Lee looked at them in disbelief.

"He's in here." Konkuro said as he pointed a thumb to the package on his back.

"You're lying…There's no way they killed Shikamaru!" Naruto shouted. He ran over to Konkuro and lifted him off the ground, gripping his vest tightly. "You're lying…" Naruto said in a low growl.

"Put me down, and I'll explain everything." Konkuro said, restraining himself. Naruto put him down and took a step back. Hinata ran to his side and wrapped her arms around his torso. He placed his right arm around her and looked at Konkuro.

"So?" Naruto asked angrily.

"It happened like this…" Konkuro related the story of the 2 successive invasions of the sand village, and the end of Shikamaru's battle with Kimimaro.

"So..he sacrificed himself to save the village?"

"No…" Konkuro said as he rolled his eyes.

"So that Udon kid came back and killed him?"

"No, just listen a second." Konkuro said as he held his hands up, in an attempt to calm himself.

"Just tell me! Give it to me straight, how did Shikamaru die!" Chouji and Temari shared a look of disbelief at Naruto's thick headedness as they shook their heads.

"I'm trying, but you won't let me talk…" Konkuro said, getting a little flustered.

"Tell me! Tell me who killed Shikamaru so I can find them and give those bastards what they deserve!"

"You idiot…"

"What, you don't think I can beat this Kimimaro guy, or Udon? I've got control over the nine-tailed fox now! If Orochimaru was here I'd give him a run for his money!"

"No, that's not it, Naruto. Just shut up a minute and listen."

"Who killed Shikamaru?"

"I never said he died, idiot!" Konkuro shouted, finally losing his temper. He clocked Naruto once, downward across his skull, in a way that was very reminiscent of Sakura, and Naruto had a blank look on his face for a few moments. Konkuro sighed as his anger was released in that one brutal punch. "Shikamaru isn't dead, why do you think he's dead? I never said that."

"You're the one who's got him wrapped up like a mummy!"

"To protect him from the elements. He hasn't woken up since his fight, and we had to cross miles of desert. He's breathing, but he won't wake up."

"Don't they have medical ninjas in Sunahagakure?"

"Of course they do, why do you think we were late? They fixed his hands, and by all means, he should be awake, but they can't do it." Konkuro looked like Naruto was trying his patience. "We brought him here so we could find your Sannin."

"Oh, Lady Tsunade…" Hinata said as she realized the full situation. Naruto was a bit behind, but caught up a few moments later.

"Alright, first order of business is to find Lady Tsunade!" Naruto shouted as he pointed a finger into the sky.

"How are we going to do that?" Chouji asked. "It's not like we have Kiba or Akamaru's nose to track her down, and even if we did, her trail is months old."

"That's not even considering the fact that she may not want to be found."

"If she's with pervy sage, we may not want to find her…" Naruto said, a little grossed out. The others looked at him quizzically, and then realized what he'd said. They all shared the shudder of disgust. The group stood there, thinking of a way to find Tsunade, with no luck. "If Shikamaru were here, he'd figure something out…" Naruto said quietly.

"If Shikamaru were here, we wouldn't need Tsunade, loser." Sasuke said with much contempt.

"What did you call me?!" Naruto said as he snapped to attention.

"I called you a loser." Naruto 's eyes blazed with fury.

"Don't insult me! I'm going to be the greatest Hokage!"

"You do know there isn't a Konaha anymore, right?" Konkuro asked. He looked to his sister, pointing a thumb at Naruto, and shaking his head. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Right…sorry, force of habit."

"Naruto, your such an idiot." Sasuke said with a sigh. Naruto glared once more.

"I think I've got an idea." Hinata said quietly.

"Don't call me an idiot!" Naruto said as he ran towards Sasuke, with a fist pulled back. Sasuke moved to meet his charge head on, but Chouji stepped between them.

"Expansion Jutsu!" Chouji cried, and the two ran head first into a very plump, very circular Chouji. They bounced backwards, Naruto landing on his rear end and tumbling head over heels, while Sasuke landed nimbly on his feet, sliding back.

"Guys, I think-" Hinata tried to start again.

"Chouji! Don't get ion my way! I'm trying to pummel Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.

"Pummel me? Naruto, you've been miles behind me since the academy."

"I'm tons stronger than you!" Naruto shouted.

"With the fox, maybe, but who knows how much control you have over that. You wouldn't risk destroying this town just because I called you a loser." Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but stopped, his jaw open, as if the words had been stolen from him.

"My rasengan would beat your Chidori anyday!" he finally spat out.

"Care to give it a try?"

"Guys, if you'd listen just a second…"

"I don't know, Sasuke, think you can handle it?" Naruto grinned.

"Chidori…" Sasuke said as he lowered his right arm.

"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted, summoning it without the use of a clone. "Pervy sage said this technique made Chidori look like childsplay!" Naruto cried out.

"Guys, wait a second, I have an idea…" Hinata said quietly. Temari started shouting at the two feuding boys, while Konkuro held Sasuke back, and Chouji did the same to Naruto. They pumped their legs furiously, trying to hold them back. Chouji doubled in size, anchoring Naruto in place, while Konkuro summoned Karasu to wrap around Sasuke's body, holding him still.

"Let go!" Naruto shouted.

"Konkuro, don't make me hurt you…" Sasuke snarled.

"I've got an idea! Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and several clones came into existence, pulling Chouji off Naruto.

"Guys, that was my idea…" Hinata said, still speaking quietly.

"I tried!" Chouji shouted as he was pinned by a dozen Narutos. Sasuke kicked out at Karasu's leg, knocking it away from him before wriggling free. The two boys continued their headlong charge.

"Loser!"

"Jerk!"

"Guys, wait a second…"

"LOSER!"

"JERK!"

"GUYS, STOP!" Hinata shouted. Naruto and Sasuke looked at her just before they met, missing each other completely, but as they passed each other, their feet got hooked, and they both fell headlong, their jutsu crashing into the ground. After the smoke cleared, the two boys lay facedown in the dirt.

"Hinata?" Chouji asked, bewildered.

"Sorry…" Hinata said as she blushed. Chouji sat down on Naruto, while Konkuro went to do the same to Sasuke. Sasuke stood up quickly, pushing Konkuro aside.

"Get away from me…" Sasuke said as he distanced himself from Naruto.

"What was your idea, Hinata?" Chouji said with a big smile as Naruto struggled under his super-sized body.

"Emme odda har!!" Naruto tried to say, but his face was pushed into the ground.

"Naruto could use his shadow clones…He could search and we'd stay here, waiting for him to come back."

"They have a limit on their distance…" Sasuke said with a sigh.

"O dey nont!" Naruto cried out, his hand stuck out from under Chouji's body. Chouji stood up, letting Naruto speak. "No they don't! I heard Iruka sensei and Kakashi sensei talking about it once when they thought I was asleep!" Naruto giggled triumphantly. "Kakashi said I didn't know how great of a technique I had! Apparently, if I sent the clones out in different directions, they could all train, or learn, and then when I released them, I'd get all that strength and knowledge! I could even send them as dispensable scouts into distant lands!" Naruto said happily. "Hinata, why didn't you speak up earlier? That's a great idea!" Hinata sighed.

"Oh, Naruto…"

"What?"

"Nothing." She said with a smile. Naruto shrugged his shoulders.

"So…" Chouji said after they stood in silence for a minute or so.

"What's up, Chouji?"

"SUMMON THE CLONES!" The group all shouted in unison. Naruto stumbled as they all shouted in his ear.

"Alright, alright…Sheesh guys. Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto shouted, summoning hundreds of clones. "Alright, guys! Go find Tsunade!"

"Alright! Let's go!" They shouted in thunderous unison. It sounded like a stampede as they rushed away to find the sannin.

"You loser…" Sasuke said under his breath.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Naruto shouted.

"NOTHING!" The remainder of the group answered for Sasuke.

So, what did you think? I know, there wasn't much combat, and to all you Naruto fans out there, I'm sorry I dumped on him like that, but after all the misery and warfare, I just HAD to add in a comic relief chapter! (This goes double for those of you who read my other story, and know how awful and violent it has been! Poor Hinata ) I tried to advance the plot somewhat as I crapped all over Naruto, and I hope you guys enjoyed! By the way, if you are now suddenly interested in reading my other story to figure out what happened to Hinata (the poor girl) its called By Any Means Necessary, and I'd like to see it get to 50 reviews! Anyway, thanks for reading, guys! Review! Thanks, I love you all!!

Also, I'm always open to potential plot twists, ESPECIALLY since the shippuden chapters recently ruined my idea for Orochimaru….I was going to make him the 8-tailed snake jinkurichi, based off of the Japanese legend, called Yamato no Orochi, but no luck. Anyway, if you want to see your ideas used, let me know! They are usually pretty good! For those of you that liked what I did with Hanabi, THAT was a reader suggested plot device, so it DOES get used if it fits (and if its good. No offense if yours doesn't get used.) OK so I'm rambling cuz my internet is down here, cuz the sprinklers went off and doused the IT room at my college XD. Alright, ill go now! I hope you guys enjoyed, see you later!


	21. Chapter 21 Uhoh

Okey dokey, Chapter 21! Here we go guys! Nothing new to report on my end...how are all of you?

Shikamaru remains out of action after his battle with Kimimaro and Udon as the gang scrambles to find Tsunade, the only one that can fix him. I'd go into more of a summary but that's pretty much it! Enjoy!

"Hit me."

"Ma'am, you have 19. The dealer suggests you stay."

"I said hit me." The busty, blonde woman said in a tone that suggested violent repercussions if she was not obeyed.

"I know that tone…"

"No one made you come, Jiraiya. You chose to follow me."

"If I'd known you were going to gamble all day and night, I wouldn't have."

"There's the door." Tsuande pointed behind her. Jiraiya lazily followed her finger, and then his eyes opened wide.

"Kid?! What are you doing here?"

"We need her help!" Naruto shouted.

"What? Where are the rest of them?"

"Back at the village you left us at! Shikamaru needs her help!"

"Tsunade, the kids need your help. I'm guessing a bad fight?"

"Yeah! He won't wake up!"

"Later, I'm gambling."

"Ma'am, you bust." The dealer said as he turned over a six of hearts. He gathered the chips she had lost with a monotone glare.

"Damn…" Tsunade said as she lowered her head to rest on her hand. She tossed a few more chips at the dealer, and he dealt a new set. "Hit me." Tsunade said as she turned a pair of sevens. The dealer was showing a king and a queen. The dealer turned a four for her, and she grimaced. "Hit me." The dealer nodded, and dealt the next card, an ace. She sighed heavily. "Hit me." He nodded once more, and dealt another card. Tsunade closed her eyes as he turned it over and set it down.

"A king, mad'am. You have 29, you lose." A well-dressed man came over to the table and whispered in the dealer's ear before walking away. "Mad'am, the house requests that you pay your tab now. You are quite significantly in debt."

"Of course, let me get my checkbook. Jiraiya, dear, watch my things." Jiraiya looked confused as she stood up and walked away.

"Tsunade, come on, we've got to get to Shikamaru!" Tsunade ignored the clone, and walked out the door of the small gambling hall. Jiraiya waited quite some time, and his expression slowly changed from confusion, to contemplative thought, to anger, to rage, to fear. The well-dressed man came back.

"Sir, it would seem that your lady friend has left. We need you to pay her tab." Jiraiya's jaw dropped as he was shown the bill.

"Are you sure that's the right number of zeros?" Jiraiya said as he shakily wrote the number on a check as tears streamed down his face. They both nodded, and he continued to cry. He walked out of the room with his head hung low, dragging his feet. He took a deep breath, and looked around for Tsunade, who was nowhere to be seen. He rolled his eyes, and started walking towards the village Naruto said they were at.

Tsunade and Naruto's clone walked down a dirt road across an open plain.

"That wasn't very nice of you, leaving pervy sage with your tab."

"Kid, when you've been friends as long as he and I have, you don't get upset about petty bills."

"Oh, ok…" Naruto said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Lady Tsunade, how nice to see you." Kabuto said as he appeared some thirty feet further down the road.

"You're Orochimaru's henchmen, aren't you?" She said.

"That's correct. How fortunate, introductions can be skipped."

"I wouldn't try anything risky. You know who the kid is." Tsunade said as she nudged her head towards Naruto.

"I'm perfectly aware of the clone standing next to you." Kabuto said as he hurled a kunai that caused Naruto to puff into smoke. Tsunade closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Do not try to bluff with me, Lady Tsunade."

"That wasn't a bluff, I thought he was the real thing…." She said out loud. "What do you want?"

"I want you to fix my arms, Tsunade, dear." Orochimaru slid out of the ground, to stand next to Kabuto.

"I already turned you down once, Orochimaru, and my answer remains the same. They wouldn't want you to bring them back."

"Ah, but you haven't even heard my latest offer. Now that you aren't with Jiraiya or that pesky demon fox, it's less of an offer and more of a demand."

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"Uh-oh…" Naruto said as he stood under a shady tree with the others.

"What is it?" Hinata asked.

"One of my clones just got beaten by Kabuto…Tsunade might be in trouble, Jiraiya isn't with her."

"Great…" Temari said with a sigh.

"The clone was pretty close! Guys, let's move!"

"Temari and I will stay here. No point in putting Shikamaru in danger." Konkuro said, and the others nodded.

"You mean to tell me she was only two villages over?" Sasuke said with a sigh.

"I guess so! We had better hurry or we might not have a sannin to fix Shikamaru!" Naruto shouted, and the group continued.

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"Yes, you see…my sources tell me one of the leaf brats was badly injured and they would logically turn to you. That boy will not wake up again unless you heal my arms, Tsunade."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because Kabuto and I will kill you if you don't."

"Resorting to violence, Orochimaru, when we are such good friends?"

"Don't attempt to toy with me, my dear. Decide now, heal my arms, or die."

"Can you give me a minute?"

"Decide, Lady Tsunade." Kabuto said angrily.

"Fine…" Tsunade said with a sigh. "Come here, I'll fix them." Tsunade began to walk towards them.

"I thought you'd see it our way." Orochimaru grinned as he walked closer. Kabuto remained unconvinced at the sudden decision, and so he walked with his master.

"Lord Orochimaru, I doubt she is going to fix them."

"Kabuto, you worry too much." Tsunade took one of Orochimaru's arms gently into one hand, and looked it over carefully.

"This doesn't look good, Orochimaru, what did you do?" Tsunade said.

"You already know what happened, no doubt." Orochimaru grinned.

"Jiraiya gave me an abbreviated version."

"I'm sure he did."

"Kabuto, relax. I may not like Orochimaru very much, but I do like being alive, and even in his weakened state, I can't kill the two of you."

"You are certainly wiser than that oaf, Jiraiya." Kabuto scoffed.

"Jiraiya is far too distracted by his pursuit of women." Orochimaru said nonchalantly.

"Oh, come on, Orochimaru, tell me how you really feel." Jiraiya said as he appeared next to Kabuto with a rasengan in his palm. He thrust it into the child's ribs, and he was thrown a hundred feet away. Tsunade reared back with a mighty punch, aimed for Orochimaru's skull. He seemed to split into two completely separate Orochimarus, and they each slid away from the pair of sannin.

"Took you long enough." Tsunade said as he shook her hands. "I had to touch him."

"Well you stuck me with that tab, so I figured I'd let you sweat." Jiraiya smiled, and faced Orochimaru.

"Jiraiya, what an unpleasant surprise." Orochimaru scoffed.

"It has been too long." Jiraiya said. "Your student there is quite resilient isn't he?" Jiraiya noted as he looked over at Kabuto, who was beginning to stand up.

"He is a medical ninja, second only to our dear Tsunade here."

"So is that why he wanted to kill her, so he wouldn't be second best?"

"Kabuto is quite…devoted to my cause, like most of my servants. He was greatly insulted by her refusal of our offer."

"Whatever. You aren't going to slink away this time, Orochimaru."

"Who says I would want to? That Nara boy has become almost as powerful as his father. I see no reason to leave you alive so that you can fix the boy, so he can steal my arms right back, even if I should get them fixed. We intend to kill the two of you here and now." Kabuto stood next to his master. His breathing was slightly labored, his shirt was torn, but he seemed otherwise unharmed. Jiraiya seemed stunned.

"I began healing my wound before your jutsu came into contact with my skin, and as you know, healing jutsu just amplify the bodies natural ability to reproduce cells, so in a sense, I made an extra dense layer of skins to protect myself, and even those cells began to repair and reproduce as soon as you made contact."

"That's quite innovative of you, Kabuto, but it uses a lot of chakra, I bet."

"I've got plenty to spare."

"Are we going to stand here all day, or are you going to actually fight a battle, Orochimaru?"

"I would have fought you last time, Jiraiya, if it weren't for the Fourth Hokage's little experiment."

"He's not an experiment, that was his son."

"How noble of him, he couldn't defeat the beast himself, so he trapped it within his son to torment him for the rest of his days."

"That's a big part of being a leaf shinobi Orochimaru, self-sacrifice. You never got that, and that's why you could never become the Hokage."

"You sound just like Sarutobi. You should have heard his pathetic little speech, just before I cut his throat." Jiraiya and Tsunade tensed at this statement. "Strike a chorde, did I?" Orochimaru said with a disgusting grin. He licked his lips with his abnormally long tongue. "I will enjoy killing the two of you." He ran towards them in the typical ninja fashion; arms back, head low. He spat the blade out of his throat, and slashed out at Jiraiya's head, who ducked. Tsunade ran around behind him, and Orochimaru bent over backwards, extending his neck to stab at her with the sword. She leapt back, and then swung out with a violent backhand as Kabuto rushed in, and ducked under the assault. Orochimaru made good use of his sword, despite his lack of arms. He slashed out wide, and Jiraiya leapt backwards, flipping over several times before landing. Orochimaru extended his neck, and Jiraiya was barely standing up straight when it got within range. He bowed his head low, letting his hair capture the blade.

"Needle Guardian!" He shouted, and his hair spiked out, entwining the blade, and stopping it from cutting his flesh. He whipped his head up quickly, pulling the blade from Orochimaru's mouth, and tossing it backward. "This won't be like the last time we fought."

"The last time we fought it was over before it began."

"I'm not talking about after the invasion, I'm talking about when you left Konaha the first time."

"So am I." Orochimaru grinned wickedly. Jiraiya scowled, and ran at Orochimaru, Rasengan ready to go.

"Lady Tsunade, your reputation caused me to greatly over-estimate you." Kabuto said with a grin as he nimbly ducked around her super-powered punches and kicks.

"You don't know as much as you think you do." Tsunade said angrily. "Poison Mist technique!" she shouted, and a green cloud of poison spewed from her mouth.

"Poison Extraction Technique." Kabuto said with a grin as the poison enveloped his body, entered his mouth and nose, but had no effect.

"I heard you learned your art from your father."

"That's correct. He taught me everything there is to know about medical ninjutsu."

"We shall put that to the test." Tsunade said angrily.

"Perhaps." Kabuto said as he avoided yet another brutal attack from Tsunade's super-powered fists. "So, tell me, Lady Tsunade. Are you still a homophobic?" Tsunade's eye's grew wide as Kabuto drew a kunai, and slashed it across his own arm. He then rushed towards the sannin, kunai leading the way, and she stumbled backwards, petrified of the blood. "I see that you are, what a shame."

"You can't beat me without arms, and your precious jutsu, Orochimaru." Jiraiya said as lifted his foot high into the air, before crashing it downward. He missed Orochimaru's head by inches as he weaved in and around Jiraiya's attack. He leapt backwards, and then further extended his neck, aiming for Jiraiya's throat. The toad hermit leapt to the side, and Orochimaru shot forward, snatching his sword in his mouth. Jiraiya quickly summoned a Rasengan, and thrust outward at the exposed neck, shouting the jutsu's name. Orochimaru contracted his neck, speeding back to his body, and the Rasengan missed. He spun on a dime and threw the Rasengan at Orochimaru, who was still recoiling from withdrawing his neck. He bent low backwards to avoid the jutsu, and didn't see Jiraiya leap into the air, rear back with a fist, and begin his descent towards his former comrade.

"Jiraiya, stop!" Kabuto shouted. Jiraiya looked over to see Kabuto holding a bloody knife to Tsunade's throat and he landed harmlessly next to Orochimaru with a sigh.

"Sorry, Jiraiya."

"It's alright, Tsunade. It isn't your fault."

"A pitiful tragedy, that a medical ninja is afraid of blood." Kabuto said with a grin. Orochimaru grinned and walked closer to Kabuto.

"Excellent work, Kabuto. I knew you would come through for me while I held off the oaf." He said with a grin.

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"What do you mean this isn't the town your clone was in…" Sasuke asked angrily.

"Hehe…whoops?" Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You're losing us the only person that can save Shikamaru, dolt!" Chouji shouted as he bashed Naruto's skull with a giant fist.

"You're such a loser, Naruto…" Sasuke said as he walked away from the group.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Naruto said as he held the spot that Chouji had bashed. Chouji clocked him once more, and he hit the dirt.

"That one is for Ino." Chouji said quietly.

_You tell him, Chouji!_

Sigh..dontcha just love a good cliff hanger? I know i do. I hope you guys enjoyed it! See you soon!


	22. Chapter 22 Tsunade's Promise

Hey guys! Here we are, chapter 22! I know, I know, you guys have been dying to see the resolution of that cliff hanger i stuck you with, so i made sure to get it done fast! BY THE WAY for those of you that noticed, i had a BIG typo on the last update. As most of you know, Tsunade is HEMOphobic, no HOMOphobic. Unfortunately, according to my last chapter, Tsunade isn't a fan of homosexuals! Also, it seems that my usual tactic for separating bits of the story doesnt work, so i'm going to try a new approach!

Summary: Tsunade and Jiraiya face off against Orochimaru and Kabuto, but the good guys are in a bit of a tight spot! Kabuto has manipulated Tsunade's fear of blood, and swayed the fight in their favor! How will they get out of this one? Oh, the suspense is killing me! Enjoy!

"Well we need to hurry up and get back to her!" Chouji shouted, and they turned around, rushing back to where they had come from.

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"Well, it seems the three legendary sannin will be reduced to the one legendary sannin." Kabuto noted as he held a blade to Tsunade's throat, and Orochimaru approached Jiraiya, his sword still in his mouth.

"Jiraiya, don't let him kill you just because he's threatening me. You need to warn the kids."

"I don't need to warn the kids of much. We already know Orochimaru is afraid of Naruto."

"SILENCE!" Orochimaru shouted, rushing over and placing the long blade at Jiraiya's throat. "I do not fear that little brat. I do not fear anything, and why should I? I am a master of all jutsu!"

"Right, you fear nothing, except Naruto. Not to mention I think you might be a little afraid of me, you waited to ambush Tsunade until she was alone, specifically without me or Naruto nearby."

"I told you to be quiet, fool…" Orochimaru paced back and forth in front of Jiraiya. "I am not afraid of that little fool."

"I have to disagree. Look, your getting all defensive, you clearly don't want to fight him, considering you ran away from him the last time you met."

"SHUT UP, BUFFOON!" Orochimaru roared as he spun his body, particularly his head, and the sword slashed across Jiraiya's back. Blood sprayed everywhere, and he fell to the ground, not moving.

"JIRAIYA!" Tsunade shouted, and began to run to his side, and Kabuto held the knife in front of her face. She whipped around with her right fist as it grew to three times its normal size, slamming into Kabuto's chest. He coughed blood and was hurled backwards. She rushed to Jiraiya's side as Orochimaru slowly slipped off to the side.

"Tsunade…" Jiraiya coughed. She cradled his head in her lap.

"What a touching moment. I'm sure he's glad you are here to watch him die, Tsunade." Tsunade gave Orochimaru a look that instilled more fear than a thousand demon foxes. He recoiled from the terrifying woman, but stayed to watch.

"Jiraiya…You can't die, not now." Tsunade said as she began to summon chakra to her hands.

"Wait…" Jiraiya said with a cough. "Don't heal me…you need to keep your strength."

"What are you talking about? What could be more important than saving your life!?"

"Killing Orochimaru…here and now, end this whole thing. He doesn't have any arms, and from the look of it, you put Kabuto out of commission. He can't escape…he needs Kabuto to perform his jutsu."

"No, the kids need you! The Land of Fire needs you!" Tsunade began to cry. "I…need you."

"Don't get all teary eyed on me…Even if you could heal me, I might live, but I can feel it. He severed part of my spinal column, I'd be crippled."

"Jiraiya don't be a hero, I'm going to save your life!"

"Tsunade…You can't save everyone, you know that better than I do." Tsunade shut her eyes and looked away, bringing up painful memories of her brother, and her former love.

"You never wanted to be Hokage, you aren't like them." She said, tears still streaming down her face.

"What do I have to do to change your mind?"

"Nothing, Jiraiya! I'm going to save your life!"

"Your still the same flat-chested Tsunade, aren't you?"

"That won't work, Jiraiya."

"Tsunade…it's a doctors responsibility to see that the patients wishes have been met. I don't want to live paralyzed. You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved."

"Jiraiya…" Tsunade continued to cry as she put her head on his chest.

"Aren't you the one who is supposed to be telling me everything is going to be ok?" Jiraiya placed a hand on her head.

"Jiraiya you idiot…"

"Are you two quite done?" Orochimaru said with a sarcastic tone, apparently bolstered.

"Shut up, Orochimaru…" Tsunade said angrily.

"I just hate these sappy moments, kind of like how Sarutobi kept babbling about how the village was like family…Disgusting."

"Are you trying to make me angry, Orochimaru?

"It is a distinct possibility, Tsunade dear."

"You won't escape from here today, Orochimaru. This whole thing, it's over."

"For you, perhaps. My dear, you are unparalleled in medical jutsu, perhaps even unrivaled, if you killed Kabuto; Your physical strength, phenomenal. Despite this, I do not need jutsu to defeat you."

"How is it you figure, Orochimaru?"

"Speaking simply of skill as ninjas, you will not lay a hand on me. I was always the strongest fighter of the three of us. If you did, certainly, it would be over, but I am much faster than you are. In addition, I'm smarter than you are, you can't hope to out-strategize me. Finally, you are far too kind to sink as low as fighting your opponent emotionally. I am not. You cannot win, Tsunade, my dear."

"I can try, Orochimaru. I can't let this go, unforgiven."

"You will die together here, Tsunade. So don't worry, you will see your 'beloved' Jiraiya soon."

"Tsu…Tsunade…Don't let him phase you…you can…win. Take it from me…I had him on the ropes…He can be beaten. Don't be afraid…you already overcame your fear of blood…once today." Jiraiya offered a weak smile at the grief stricken Tsunade. She looked down at her bloody hands and clothing, and realized he was right. She looked at him with tear-soaked eyes and smiled back. He closed his eyes, and laid his head down. His hair was blood-soaked around his wound, and a large portion had been cut off where Orochimaru had slashed him.

"Jiraiya…" Tsunade said quietly. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. She slowly stood up, still looking at Jiraiya. She turned on Orochimaru, her eyes radiating fury. "As the last heir of the Senju Clan, the clan who's legacy you have destroyed, I swear to not rest until I've killed you with my own hands, Orochimaru."

"You'd be surprised at how often I hear that threat." Orochimaru said nonchalantly.

"I doubt it." Tsunade glowered angrily. She began walking towards him slowly, glaring death at him. He stood up straight, licking his lips.

"When today is over, there will be only one Sannin." Orochimaru grinned.

"For once, I agree with you, snake."

"Don't try to sweet talk me, Tsunade."

"I will see to it that today you crawl with your belly to the earth, like the beasts you seem to care so much about."

"Tsunade, I think your shaking. You aren't afraid, are you?"

"That must be my skin crawling, at the thought that to kill you, I have to touch you. I'm not afraid anymore, not of you."

Tsunade broke into a run, and Orochimaru ran towards her. She swung out at head level with a super-charged fist, and he ducked low, bowing his head. She brought her other hand down, and he twisted his body to the side as she crashed into the earth, creating a crater. He flipped over her arm sideways as she swiped with her hand, attempting to bring him into a bone-crushing grip. He extended his neck, aiming his large fangs at her neck, which she avoided by lowering her head and sidestepping. She attempted to grab his neck, but he retracted it, and then spat the sword out, cutting her hand. She stopped her assault for only a brief moment, forcing chakra into her wound, and then showing it to Orochimaru.

"Good as new."

"Chakra is limited, my dear, the damage I can inflict is not." They met in fierce battle again, Tsunade slinging her super powered limbs at Orochimaru, who narrowly avoided, his long hair whipping behind the movements of his head like a streamer. Tsunade's movements began to grow sluggish, and Orochimaru dodged with greater ease, even managing to offer a few counter attacks with his sword, which he continued to suck in and out of his mouth.

"You aren't growing tired, are you?" Orochimaru chided.

"Hardly!" Tsunade shouted, and she renewed her efforts, exploding into motion as she punched and kicked violently. For the first time in the fight, Orochimaru seemed to have to try to avoid the brutish attacks, and he subtly stepped backwards from the enraged Tsunade. She punched straight out, to which Orochimaru responded by flipping hand-feet several times backwards. Tsunade then clasped both hands together, slamming them into the ground, creating a sizable rift, which shot out towards Orochimaru. Orochimaru sidestepped quickly to avoid the attack, and Tsunade repeated the process, aiming once again at Orochimaru. He continued his movement to his right, and Tsunade created one of the rifts with her left hand, causing him to reverse his direction. She created another with her right hand, to which he flipped over, landing between two of the rifts, and then leaping away from the rifts.

"Tsunade dear, you have got to do better than that if you are going to hold true to your promise." Tsunade charged forward with a roar that seemed to almost rattle Orochimaru, surprised at the pure rage he had instilled in the woman. She punched right, chest level, and he simply moved his chest to his own right, to which she punched left, at waist level. He moved back to his left, and she attempted to grab him in a bear hug. He ducked low, and she shot her knee out, which he bent over backwards to avoid. She brought both of her fists earthward with a yell, and he bent his spine in an inhumane fashion to avoid the blow. He quickly maneuvered away from her, and stood straight with a mad grin. She gave him no time to rest, and she ran towards him, right fist reared back. She punched high and he ducked, so she kicked at knee level. He did a short jump, spreading his legs wide in a split, before rolling over his back, placing both hands on the earth, and springing to his feet.

"I'm really getting sick of that grin, Orochimaru. How do you feel about me removing it for you?"

"Be my guest, my dear." She charged once more, offering a powerful uppercut, to which he bent his spine, moving his targeted stomach out of reach, then spun to his left. She lashed at him with a right-handed backhand, then following it with a left kick around stomach height. He ducked completely under both attacks, and then sprang up. She dashed closer to him, finally getting a hold of the slippery Orochimaru in a tight bear hug.

"It's over, Orochimaru." She began to squeeze, and he shrieked in pain. His shrieks changed to laughter as his neck extended, turning the tables on Tsunade by constricting her. His head stood tall away from the mass of bodies that was Tsunade and Orochimaru, and he grinned, following by a mad laughter.

"Victory is always so much sweeter when your enemy believes they have won." He laughed maniacally. "My arms will be healed, Tsunade, and I will continue to live, but you shall die here today."

"Bas…tard…" Tsunade said quietly as she struggled to fight his constriction.

"Now, my dear, your time has come to an end. " Orochimaru's canine teeth extended to fangs, and his neck shot at her throat like a bullet, jaws spread wide. His teeth sunk into her flesh, and she screamed in pain. Orochimaru grinned, as much was possible with a mouth full of neck, and then his eyes showed significant shock, then irritation. His fangs were slowly forced out of Tsunade's neck as the crystal in her forehead glowed. She roared in defiance, bursting her arms wide, breaking Orochimaru's hold on her, before grabbing him just below the mouth, and driving his skull into the ground. His fangs attempted to sink into her hand, but as soon as they managed to bite, her technique healed the wound, ejecting his fangs from her skin. She continued to smash his face into the ground until he stopped screaming, and then for a little longer, just to be sure. He neck slowly retracted to its normal length, and he lay there, his eyes closed, and his mouth shut. She stood over his body, breathing heavily. The crystal in her forehead stopped glowing.

"That's going to take five or so off my life…" She sadly lamented.

"Tsunade!" Naruto shouted as he and the others ran towards her.

"Hey, Naruto." She said softly.

"Hey! That's Orochimaru!" Naruto said aloud.

"We don't need to worry about him anymore, Naruto."

"You killed him?" Naruto said, almost in shock.

"Yeah."

"He's dead…" Sasuke said, his voice trailing off. His face was more angry than shocked.

"Sasuke, just be glad he's dead." Chouji said as he placed an arm on his shoulder.

"Sasuke, I wanted to rip him apart with my bare hands as much as you did." Naruto said as he turned to his friend. "We can all get on with our lives now."

"Maybe you can, Naruto, but there is still Itachi, and Madara. I'm going to kill both of them as well."

"Why do you have to say its just you, Sasuke? WE will take them down. You have friends, let us help you." Sasuke scoffed and walked away.

Naruto rolled his eyes, and turned back around. "I guess pervy sage must be pretty tired after the fight, huh?" Naruto said as he walked towards his former mentor with a big grin on his face.

"Naruto, you should know-" Tsunade began.

"Know what? Everything is good! Orochimaru is dead, you're both ok, and now you can help Shikamaru!"

"Naruto, listen to me for a second." Tsunade said sadly.

"Hey, pervy sage! Get up!" Naruto said as he walked next to him. "Hey, why is there so much blood?" Naruto began to survey the scene, and saw that a large clump of Jiraiya's hair was misplaced. "Wait, what….what happened?" Naruto stepped back from the bloody pool Jiraiya lay in.

"Jiraiya…Jiraiya didn't make it." Tsunade said as she hung her head.

"What?" Naruto looked horrified.

"I tried to save him, he wouldn't let me…He told me he didn't want to live his life paralyzed, he'd rather die."

"You should have saved him! Who did it? Orochimaru, or Kabuto?"

"Orochimaru did. He killed Jiraiya with his sword."

"I don't care if he's already dead! I'm going to rip him apart!" Naruto brought a Rasengan to his palm and rushed at Orochimaru's mangled body. A senbon-shuriken struck Naruto's wrist, and the Rasengan disappeared. He looked at his palm, confused, as Kabuto appeared, kneeling, next to Orochimaru.

"I won't let you deface Lord Orochimaru's body!" Kabuto shouted, and winced, grasping his ribs. He pulled Orochimaru's arm over his shoulder, and leapt away with his body in tow. Naruto began to run towards the fleeing ninja, and Tsunade put a hand on his shoulder.

"Orochimaru is dead, don't waste your energy. There isn't anything you could do." Naruto wrenched himself from her grip and kept running, but she quickly caught up and grabbed the back of his shirt, tossing him back at the group.

"I said don't waste your energy." Naruto looked at her, intensely angry, and his pupils began to grow red. "Don't try it, Naruto…" She said, and Hinata fell into Naruto's arms.

"Oh, Naruto…What are we going to do?" She said as she cried into his shoulder. The red faded from his eyes, and he hugged her tightly.

"Move on." He said sadly as he gave Jiraiya one last look, before burying his eyes into Hinata's shoulder.

Alright, be honest. Who saw any of that coming? I bet you thought i was going to reuse the whole "naruto runs in and goes demon fox and orochimaru runs away" thing, didnt you? I knew it. I decided i'd use that enough already, and went with a twist. Don't worry, this isn't the end of the story, not by a long shot! I will continue to amuse you guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please, please review it, let me know what you think, it really makes the writing process more gratifying, especially when your work can't be published! Thanks guys, you rock. I'll post soon, hopefully!


	23. Chapter 23 Goodbye, Jiraiya

Hey guys! Chapter 23! This one isn't as action packed as most, but that can only be expected considering the tragedies of the last chapter! Anyway, not much else to report on. Enjoy guys!

"I guess we should get back to Shikamaru, huh?" Chouji said sadly.

"I suppose." Naruto said, still holding onto Hinata tightly.

"Who's going to bring him back?" Sasuke asked. The other children looked at him as if he had said something horrible.

"I will." Tsunade said after a short silence. "It's my fault he's dead."

"Why do you say that?" Hinata asked as she took her eyes out of Naruto's chest for the first time since they had found their way there.

"If I wasn't a homophobic, he wouldn't have had to stop attacking Orochimaru. He had the snake on the ropes, and Kabuto took advantage of my weakness."

"Hemophobic? Does that mean you don't like…Um…guys who like guys?" Naruto asked with a cringe.

"It means she doesn't like blood, loser." Sasuke said as he rolled his eyes. "You're thinking of homophobic."

"What did you say…" Naruto growled. Hinata wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him in place. Naruto glared daggers at Sasuke, and Sasuke gave him an arrogant glance.

"That's not your fault, Lady Tsunade." Hinata said reassuringly. "Kabuto exploited your weakness, and you beat Orochimaru in the end."

"If I didn't have that weakness, we'd have been fine. I'm supposed to be one of the Legendary Sannin."

"You're the Legendary Sannin." Sasuke said, with more emphasis on 'the'. Tsunade looked at him with regret in her eyes. She leaned over and picked up Jiraiya, being careful to support his head.

"Let's go guys." They all nodded at her command, and began walking back to the village where the others waited.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Konkuro and Temari remained silent as they watched the quiet procession enter the town.

"Naruto, get some firewood. Bring it to the hill outside of town. We're going to give him a proper burial. Hinata, see if you can find some ceremonial clothes in town. Pay for them with this." Tsunade nodded towards a small pouch on her belt. Hinata nodded, took the pouch, and went into town.

"Are you going to wake up Shikamaru up first?" Temari asked.

"No, I want to do this before sundown, and it's unlikely that I have the energy to perform any lengthy surgery." Temari nodded, and went to help Hinata shop. The other boys helped Naruto make the funeral pyre, and it was ready before the sun had set. They changed into their black ceremonial clothing, and watching as Tsunade placed Jiraiya gently on the stack of wood.

"Naruto, do me a favor, and summon Gamabunta." Tsunade said without looking at him.

"Yeah, you got it." Naruto walked away from the group.

Don't you remember our bargain? I won't give you the strength for necessity unless it threatens your life.

_Don't start this now, Kyuubi. You don't have a choice. _Naruto stood perfectly still, his eyes closed, as the others watched him, waiting for him to perform the summoning.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the dank dungeon, Naruto stood face to face with the nine-tailed fox, as they both glared across the shattered iron bars.

_Take it then._ Kyuubi chided.

_No problem. _Naruto took a deep breath. _I don't need much of your strength for the summoning. _Kyuubi grinned. He took another deep breath, and let out a great roar. The loose gravel around him began to rise into the air, and the ground began to shake.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"He can't do the summon without the fox's strength." Sasuke said. "Typical." They saw the same Naruto that Kyuubi did, and Kyuubi's red aura slowly began to be drawn to Naruto in a narrow beam. The others simply saw the red circle appear around his feet, and slowly rise in an upward spiral. He stopped roaring, and his own sight left the dungeon.

_Until we meet again, boy. _Kyuubi said as his image faded.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as he bit his thumb, and palmed the earth. The black marks spiraled out from his hand, and in a gigantic puff of smoke, Gamabunta himself appeared.

"What is it this time, kid?" Gamabunta said in an angry voice. "I'm in a foul mood, and being torn away from a nap isn't helping!"

"Gamabunta, I asked Naruto to summon you." Tsunade said out loud.

"Oh, Tsunade. No need to explain what happened, we already know what happened to Jiraiya. Why am I here, though?"

"Jiraiya's funeral."

"Fair enough. Where is he?" Gamabunta said as he turned to the hill. "Jiraiya." Gamabunta said as he shook his head slowly.

"Sasuke, do me a favor. Light the fire." Tsunade asked, and Sasuke complied.

"Fire Style! Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, as he brought his hand to his lips. The jet of flame quickly ignited the dry tinder, setting the pyre ablaze.

"Somebody say something." Tsunade said, and she was clearly choking up.

"Jiraiya was a teacher, and shinobi, without equal." Gamabunta said aloud. "Forever will your name be remembered on Mount Myouboku so long as this toad has anything to say about it." Each in turn, the other ninja slowly walked past the pyre, offering a few small words.

"Goodbye, Jiraiya." Chouji said, and then walked on.

_Goodbye! _Ino offered.

"Goodbye old man." Sasuke said.

"Goodbye, Jiraiya, the Toad Sage." Lee said with a salute.

"Goodbye." Konkuro and Temari said as they walked by, standing closely together.

"Goodbye, Gama Sennin." Hinata said as she pulled Naruto closer to the pyre, to which he gently resisted.

"Goodbye, Jiraiya." Gamabunta said loudly, tipping his pipe over Jiraiya's pyre, allowing some of the contents to fall into the blaze. "I may have never acted like it, but there was never a human I respected more."

"Goodbye, Jiraiya." Tsunade said, and began to walk past, but turned back. "I never did apologize, for that time when we were kids, when I broke your arms, and your ribs…and ruptured a few organs. Looking back, it's not that big of a deal. It was a compliment, really. I should have been flattered to be the love interest of the one true mega-pervert." She ended with a soft laugh, before nodding, then walking slowly away.

"Pervy sage…" Naruto said as he stopped at the fire. "I'll never forget what you've taught me. Goodbye." Naruto quickly briskly walked away. The funeral over, they walked slowly down the hillside, and Gamabunta vanished.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What do you mean you can't wake him up?" Temari screamed the next morning, clearly distraught.

"There isn't anything wrong with him, medically speaking. Not that I can fix, anyway." Tsunade closed her eyes and sat down.

"You're a medical ninja! THE medical ninja! Nobody is better at this than you!"

"Look, I ran every test I know, his body is fine, there is nothing more I can do. There are somethings medicine and medical jutsu just can't fix."

"So he's dead, then?"

"No, he's still breathing, though I can't figure out why he isn't awake."

"Maybe he's really tired." Naruto offered in a poor attempt to cheer Temari up.

"SHUT UP, IDIOT!" She screamed, and he reeled back in his seat.

"Don't yell at him, he was trying to help." Hinata said quietly.

"Listen, Hinata, I don't know what you see in that moron-" right before she had said 'moron', Chouji clamped two big hands over Naruto's ears, knowing he was liable to get upset over being called a name. "But he isn't helping! If he wants to help, why doesn't he use his damned fox to wake Shikamaru up!?"

"Uh, Temari…" Konkuro said as he poked her shoulder.

"WHAT?!" She shouted as she turned on him.

"You already tried using a demon's power. They have no ability to heal, they can only destroy."

"You aren't helping."

"I don't think I like you talking about Naruto that way."

"You don't think?" Temari scoffed. "Develop an opinion for once! He's going to be one of the strongest ninja in the world when he's an adult. What makes you think he's be interested in a soft spoken girl like you? He'll want someone who can help him grow stronger."

"Temari…" Konkuro warned.

"It's no big deal, Konkuro. I'm not going to fight her, and we all know she won't fight me. She barely fights when her friends need her."

"Stop it…" Hinata said quietly, looking at the ground.

"Pathetic." Naruto was trying to read their lips after failing horribly to remove Chouji's hands, to no avail.

"Chouji, cut it out!" He said loudly. Chouji remained firm. Hinata remained silent.

"Stand up for yourself for once!" Temari shouted at her. Sasuke got up and walked out of the room.

"Please, there is no reason to argue like this!"

"Stay out of it, Lee." Temari said angrily.

"No, I will not!" Lee said as he puffed out his chest.

"Need I do to you what Gaara did?" Lee seemed utterly defeated by this statement, and he followed Sasuke out.

"I still can't believe that idiot is going to be one of the strongest ninja in the world, all because his dad sealed a demon in him."

"Stop talking about Naruto, please." Hinata said as she looked up.

"Or what? I've seen your jutsu, there's no way it can defeat the sand defenses that I don't even have to control. I bet your little idiot boyfriend couldn't even break through it."

"I don't mind if you want to insult me but please stop making fun of Naruto."

"Kids, this is getting a little out of hand."

"Stay out of it, grandma, she needs to learn to stand up for herself."

"Grandma? Listen, twerp, don't make me teach you what the word sannin means."

"You're not fast enough to defeat the sand shield." Temari said with a glare, and Tsunade glowered and walked out.

"Fine, but listen kid, don't come crying to me for help the next time he doesn't wake up."

"Temari, why are you being this way?" Chouji asked.

"Chouji, cut it out!" Naruto shouted as he tried to wriggle free.

"Hey, idiot be quiet!" Temari shouted, and laughed as he looked dumbfounded.

"Stop it, stop making fun of him, now!" Hinata shouted, and seemed to recoil from her own voice.

"Finally!!" Naruto shouted as he broke free of Chouji's grip. "What are you guys talking about?!" Chouji leapt onto Naruto again, clamping giant hands over his ears. "Chouji, stop it!"

Keep going, Chouji! We can't let him hear her, especially now that she's messing with Hinata! The two boys began wrestling back and forth, while Temari and Hinata began shouting at each other. You go, Hinata! Tell her who's boss!!

"Chouji, stop! Why are Temari and Hinata looking so angry?"

"Hey guys, what's all the noise about?" A soft voice said with a yawn, but was largely drowned out by the noise.

"I said stop making fun of him!"

"He's a moron! What could you possibly see in him?"

"Did she just say moron?! I can't read lips but I'm pretty sure she did!"

"You must be mistaken, Naruto!" Chouji shouted into his ear.

"Guys, quiet down, I was having such a great nap…" Shikamaru said with another yawn as he stretched out. Everyone stopped shouting and turned to stare at him.

"Shikamaru?" Chouji said in disbelief.

"You idiot! YOU WERE TAKING A NAP?" Temari said as she bashed Shikamaru in the head.

"Ow…Was that really necessary?" Shikamaru asked. "Hey, this isn't the sand village."

"Yeah, we left, boss. You've been out for a while."

"Really? Where are we?"

"We're in the village that we all departed from."

"Wow, I slept that long? Dad didn't tell me that would happen…"

"What about your dad?" Naruto asked.

"YOU HAD ME WORRIED, IDIOT!" Temari shouted.

"Uh, sorry…But man, I do feel great."

"Why were you asleep for so long?!" Naruto asked.

"Oh, right… Before the invasion, my dad taught me this new jutsu…I used it at the end of that fight. It went kind of like this…"

In traditional anime fashion, it all went black and white as Shikamaru described the battle.

He faded into a bone spike halfway across the forest, before reappearing directly in front of Shikamaru, sword drawn backwards for a powerful thrust.

"Shadow Slumber Jutsu!" Shikamaru shouted, just as Kimimaro's blade began to move forward. He stopped moving there, his eyes lifeless, blood dripping across his mouth and chin. The curse seal had faded, and his body held its position until the spikes faded, a full minute after Kimimaro ceased moving. Shikamaru's eclipse faded, and the sun lit up the field. The shades burst into flames upon being touched by the sun's rays, and disappeared, leaving no trace behind. Shikamaru fell back into a seated position, his eyes felt heavy, and he slumped backwards.

"Shadow Slumber Jutsu?" Chouji asked.

"Yeah, the Nara family uses it as our last resort to heal wounds. Basically, all of our chakra is transformed into shadow to prevent and heal wounds. Using all the chakra can be pretty tiring, and depending on how bad your injuries are, or how much chakra you've exhausted, I guess it takes a while to regain your strength, so the jutsu puts you to sleep." Shikamaru finished his explanation and Konkuro looked at him, dumbfounded.

"So I didn't have to put you in the wraps on my back?"

"No, not really. I was on your back? Man, what a drag…"

"Technically it was a carry!" Naruto shouted, giggling triumphantly.

"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" Temari said as she bashed him across the head.

"Don't hit Naruto!" Hinata said loudly, no longer recoiling from her own voice.

"Yeah, sorry…" Temari said as Shikamaru hopped off the bed. She hugged him tightly. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I feel pretty good, actually. Better than I have in a long time."

I really am no good at sappy scenes, sorry guys. Anyway, thats 23! I hope to post again soon! Please review!


	24. Chapter 24 Time to Train!

Howdy! Chapter 24 Here! And by the way, I'm sorry I killed Jiraiya, we all feel bad, but please, lets move on, alright? I think we can accept his death as a necessary heart wrench. Thanks, please enjoy!

Naruto lay awake in his room, unable to sleep. The little light that the moon gave through his open window illuminated his troubled features. Thoughts of his training with Jiraiya swam through his mind. He looked back, realizing all his mentors were now gone. Images of Iruka, Kakashi, and now Jiraiya, came to his vision and then passed, and the only one to blame, Orochimaru, was now gone. He had no one to hate for their deaths, and thus, his emotions ran wild.

"Maybe that's why this bothers me so much. I have no one to acknowledge me anymore."

"Naruto…" Sasuke said softly as he lay awake in the same room. Due to a lack of funds, the boys were forced to sleep 2 per room, except Chouji, because Ino refused to share a bedroom with any of the other boys. "You haven't lost everything. There are still those that acknowledge you."

"All my masters are gone." Naruto said sadly.

Sasuke sat up abruptly. "Then we'll train together, like in the old days." Naruto offered a weak smile at this. Sasuke looked at his face, and then thought hard, truly unsure how to reassure his friend. "And then, when we are stronger, Itachi…" Naruto sat up. "Will pay for what he did to my family." Naruto looked away, rolling his eyes. "And Sakura." The last words didn't seem to help, so Sasuke continued. "We'll get him for what he did to Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei." Naruto's eyes lit up at this, and he bolted to a sitting position.

"Did you say 'we'll'?!" Naruto asked as he turned to regard Sasuke. Sasuke's gaze met Naruto's, and he nodded sternly before offering a confidant smile. The two boys lay down to sleep, and for the first time in days, Naruto rested peacefully.

--xxx--

"Hey, kid! Wake up!" Gamakichi said as he landed on Naruto's forehead.

"Wait, Hinata, I'm here, don't go…" Naruto mumbled. A lazy hand landed on his face, and the frog leapt away.

"Hinata? Who's Hinata? Yo, Naruto, wake up, kid!" A soft knock hit the door.

"Naruto? Are you awake?"

"Hey, I don't know who you are, but come in!" Gamakichi shouted as he slapped Naruto around a bit.

"Hinata, why are you slapping me, I didn't do anything…"

"Naruto, I'm not slapping you…" Hinata said softly as she walked in. She blushed heavily as she saw Naruto in his boxers, considering that his blankets were sprawled out.

"Can you wake him up?" Gamakichi said as he sighed.

"Sure, let me try." Hinata walked over and kneeled at his bedside. Sasuke was already long gone, probably training since dawn, as he usually did. She placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him gently. "Naruto, wake up. Someone wants to talk to you."

"Nobody's here but us, Hinata. Don't be silly." Naruto rolled over, and his hand flopped into Hinata's lap. Her face went bright red and she fell over sideways.

"Great…now what am I supposed to do?" Gamakichi said with a heavy sigh. He looked around the room slowly, looking over each item as a tool, shaking his head after careful thought when he gave a kunai some consideration. "If I only had some pots, or pans, maybe, then I'd be golden. Yo, girlie, wake up! I need some help here!" the toad shouted as he hopped onto Hinata's shoulder and poked her head. She didn't respond. Gamakichi sighed heavily.

"Naruto!" A loud voice could be heard from outside. Gamakichi looked out the window to see Lee and Sasuke standing outside.

"He's still asleep, wanna gimme a hand?"

"Of course! One cannot truly experience the flame of youth if he sleeps in at this hour!" Lee shouted as he puffed out his chest. Sasuke sighed. He leapt up and forward, towards the inn. "Greater Konaha Whirlwind!" Lee shouted, and with three devastating kicks, opened the entire wall of Naruto's bedroom. Naruto had a look of pure horror on his face as Lee blasted through the wall, and Gamakichi found himself upside down, underneath a large chunk of timber.

"Bushy-brows! What are you doing? Are you crazy?!" Naruto shouted as he grabbed Lee's vest near the neck.

"You're paying for that, Lee." Sasuke said as he inserted his hands into his pockets and walked away.

"Naruto! How can you still be asleep at this time!? The sun rose hours ago!"

"I'm up now…" Naruto grumbled, and then yawned.

"Hmm? Naruto? What happened?" Hinata's voice could be heard from underneath Naruto's overturned mattress.

"Hinata? What are you doing in my bedroom?" Naruto said as he walked over and lifted the mattress.

"I was, um…" Hinata began before she turned red and fell over again.

"Hinata! You haven't done that in forever! Hinata?" Naruto said as he prodded the faint-hearted girl.

"Yo, kid! A little help here!" Gamakichi said as he wobbled side to side awkwardly, unable to remove the timber.

"Gamakichi? What are you doing here?"

"Got a message for ya from the boss!" He shouted back as he turned himself over, after Naruto had removed the plank.

"A message…" Naruto said as he pulled the envelop from Gamakichi's back. "From Boss Gama?" He quickly opened the envelope.

"What does it say, Naruto?" Hinata asked as she stood up.

"Gamabunta wants me to come to the mountain of the toads, for some special training. It says to summon Gamakichi back here whenever I'm ready."

"You got it boss! The same training Jiraiya went through!"

"Pervy sage's training?" Naruto said, his jaw hanging open slightly.

"You got it kid! Anyway, I'm done here. Just like it says, summon me when you're ready! Oh, and don't wait too long, this training takes a long time, so we need to get started quickly!"

"Yeah, you got it…" Naruto said, still somewhat in shock.

"You're going away?" Hinata asked as she looked at the ground.

"I guess so…Don't worry, I'll be back, I promise. I've got to tell everyone…" Naruto said as he ran out of the room.

--xxx--

"Where does he get off?" Sasuke said later that night as he wandered aimlessly down the streets of the town they rested in. "I just said last night that we'd train, like in the old days! Son of a bitch…" Sasuke spun rapidly to kick a trashcan, sending it flying and crashing into an alley. A cat screeched, but he paid no heed. "Leaving tomorrow damned little loser."

"Sasuke." He spun on hearing his name, turning to see Naruto standing a few feet behind him.

"Leave me alone. I don't need to train with you."

"Sasuke, I have to go train with Boss Gama. If I was as strong as Jiraiya, we'd be able to totally destroy anything that's left of Orochimaru's operation, as well as your brother's friends!"

"You know what my brother told me, the day he killed my family?"

"What's that?"

"He told me I had the ability to be as strong as he was, but I didn't have enough hate. I'd have to hate him, and then kill my best friend."

"What kind of monster would kill his best friend?" Naruto said, horrified.

"My brother did, Shisui Uchiha died so he could obtain the ultimate level of his sharingan."

"Itachi…that bastard, is there anyone he won't kill?"

"Naruto, you've become my closest friends, probably since the first days of Team 7."

"What are you saying, Sasuke?" Naruto nervously put a hand onto his tool belt.

"I want to fight you, Naruto."

"If this is so you can get your brother's sharingan by killing me, then forget it, I won't fight you Sasuke."

"No, Naruto. Remember what I told you, before the Chunin Exams?" Naruto began to think back.

"Naruto, you'd better not lose." Naruto stood there in the arena, looking at Sasuke with a question on his face. "You're one of the ones I want to fight the most."

"I'm the one you want to fight the most." Naruto said as he kept his gaze on Sasuke's eyes.

"Exactly. Before you go and train, we're going to fight, to see where the other is in comparison, and then, when you come back, we'll see who has improved more." Naruto gave a determined smile.

"Fine, but I won't lose to you Sasuke."

"One rule."

"What's that?"

"You don't use the Kyuubi, I don't use the curse mark. We fight on our own strength. Got it? If either of us uses those powers, the fight is over, and it will be the same as losing the fight completely."

"Got it. Let's move out of the town, so we don't cause any unnecessary damage." Sasuke gave a sly grin at the word 'unnecessary'.

--xxx--

Tsunade walked down the hall of the inn where they had all been staying, lost in thought.

"Jiraiya…you just had to egg him on, didn't you?" She sighed heavily, then her ears perked up. "What's that sound?" Tsunade moved her head closer to the door she stood in front of, and heard faint sounds of crying. She put a hand on the doorknob, and opened it. What she saw was Hinata sitting alone in the dark room, her knees pulled close to her chest, sobbing quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just-" Hinata began as she tried to dry her eyes.

"Don't worry about it." Tsunade said as she began to walk out of the room. She stopped, and turned her head. "This is about Naruto leaving, isn't it?" Hinata's eyes filled again, and she tried to stop crying.

"N-no, of course not." Hinata said as she tried to dry her eyes again.

"I'm sorry, kid, medical ninjutsu can't fix a broken heart." Tsunade walked over and sat down in front of Hinata. "He'll be back, Gamabunta will take good care of him." She said as she put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. _The difference is pretty easy to notice… Naruto and Jiraiya are practically the same idiot, but I couldn't wait to get rid of Jiraiya, I never gave him a chance. _

"It's just that…we've finally been spending time together and now he's leaving, and I don't know how long he'll be gone, or where he's going, and I can't go with him! He's going to get back and be a ton stronger than any of us and anything I could do to help him would be useless!"

_I never gave you a chance, Jiraiya…but I can make sure Naruto gets one. _"Look, what if I offered to train with you in the meantime? It would help pass the time he's gone, and you definitely have the chakra control to become a medical ninja. Then you could certainly be of use to him when he gets back!"

"You…you'd do that for me?" Hinata said as she dried her eyes on more time and looked up at Tsunade.

"They don't call me the Legendary Sucker for nothing." Tsunade said with a laugh. _Here's to you, Jiraiya._

--xxx--

"Sasuke and Naruto are fighting?" Shikamaru asked as he, Lee, and Chouji bolted through the town.

"Yes! I am certain of it! Sasuke wants to use this battle as a marker to see how far he will have come in his training by the time Naruto comes back!"

"Geez, Lee, you had me worried. So it's just a friendly fight?"

"From what I can tell, yes!"

"Speaking of that, what are the rest of us going to do?" Chouji asked. "Sasuke obviously has a plan, and Naruto's leaving. Who knows how long he'll be gone…"

"Chouji! You could accompany me on my way to the Land of Stone!"

"Didn't you and Sasuke just come from there?" Shikamaru asked. "And didn't they try to kill you?"

"Yes, but the members of Akatsuki that also attacked us killed the Tsuchikage! Also, considering that Orochimaru is dead, the alliance may be gone! Perhaps I can convince them to train with me, if their new Tsuchikage is more pleasant!"

"Good luck Lee, it's a nice thought."

"I'll definitely come with you! A long time ago, Asuma sensei gave me this weird piece of chakra paper, he said that because it crumbled into dust, I had earth natured chakra! I never had a chance to learn more about it, but I'd bet they could teach me!" Chouji punched his open palm. "It's decided! Lee, I'll definitely go with you to the earth country! I bet they have a totally different cuisine there that I can try!"

"Excellent!" Lee shouted.

--xxx--

"So what now, Temari?" Kankuro said as the two stood on top of the inn.

"What do you mean?"

"Orochimaru is dead, so what we came to help Shikamaru with is done."

"There is still the fight against akatsuki." She said as she turned to him.

"You can't throw yourself into that fight, Temari! They want to take the shukaku from you, if they get their hands on you, you're dead!"

"How is that any different from someone without a bijuu inside them?"

"What? It's completely different!"

"Anyone that gets in their way will be killed, so I'm in the same danger you are because you're trying to protect me."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Kankuro sighed as he leaned onto the rail and looked out over the tiny village. "So what are we going to do then? Where will we go?"

"Wherever Shikamaru goes." Kankuro hung his head a bit. "You don't have to come with me, but that's where I'm going. He'll be fighting Akatsuki eventually, and so will I. If someone takes Orochimaru's place, we'll fight them too."

"Alright."

"Alright what?"

"I'll go with you. I haven't got anything better to do. You know that as well as I do." Temari slung an arm around her brother's shoulder. He shrugged out of her grasp, moving to the side. She shook her head with a smile, and looked across the skyline.

"Hey, who are all those people in the field out there?" Temari asked as she pointed out over the town. Kankuro's eyes followed her finger.

--xxx--

"Are you ready, Naruto?' The two boys stared across an empty field. Shikamaru, Chouji, and Lee stood on the sidelines.

"This reminds me so much of my training with Gai sensei!" Lee said as tears streamed down his face, and he covered his eyes with his arm. Suddenly, he looked skyward, and clenched his fists tightly. "Gai sensei, you are not forgotten! I will train harder than ever in your memory! This I swear, on the flame of youth!"

"Train harder? Has he completely lost his mind?" Shikamaru said with a sigh. Chouji shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm ready. This will be a good way to show how far I've come since the academy, and how far I'll have gone by the time I'm done." Naruto held his hand out, and clenched it tightly. "I won't lose, Sasuke!"

"Neither will I, Naruto." Sasuke said with a confident smirk.

The two boys charged across the field at each other, shouting the other's name into the darkness, fists reared back.

--xxx--

The sun was rising, and the field was a mess. Craters lay everywhere, and various weapons were scattered across the scarred landscape. Lee had stayed up through the night, watching the two boys go at their battle with such vigor, while the others had left hours ago to get some sleep. They began to wander back out to the field to see who had been crowned victor, and what they found was not what they expected.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said with labored breath.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said back, his shoulders hunched as he took long, deep breaths. The two were covered in cuts and bruises, their clothing tarnished and ripped.

"So Lee, who won?" Shikamaru asked as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Neither has given up! They fought through the night!" Lee said proudly. "I will have to double my training regiment to continue to compete with them!"

"Lee, you can't-" Shikamaru began.

"No, I must triple it! I cannot let them surpass me!" Lee dropped to the ground and began doing push ups. "Chouji, please, sit on my back! If I cannot do 1000 pushups with you on my back, then it will be 1000 squat thrusts!" Chouji shrugged his shoulders, and took a seat on Lee's back.

"He's lost his mind…" Shikamaru said with a sigh. "What a drag…"

"1! 2! 3!" Lee began to shout.

Sasuke and Naruto stood some fifty feet apart, and began to walk towards each other. Their pace quickened, and they closed the gap quickly. They roared defiantly at each other, crossing the distant with remarkable speed, considering their tired condition. The gap closed, they each lurched out with their right hand, slamming into the other's face. They fell apart, tumbling head over heels. Sasuke landed on his back, Naruto on his stomach.

--xxx--

"Huh? What? Where am I?" Naruto woke in a daze, on a comfy bed in the inn. "Sasuke! What happened? We were fighting, who won? I'm all bandaged up, I didn't lose did I?" Naruto sat up and looked around the room. Tsunade sat in a chair, leaning against the wall. He then saw Sasuke lying on his back, looking upward.

"We tied."

"We…tied?" Naruto said as he looked at Sasuke.

"Yeah, we knocked each other out on the same punch, or at least that's what they told me."

"The same punch, huh?" Naruto smiled and looked out the window. "Guess I'll have to try harder next time."

"How can you be happy with that result? I'd have been more satisfied to lose, it would at least give me something to strive for."

"So does a tie. You just have to make sure you train harder than I do so when I come back, you win." Sasuke rolled over in his bed. "But that won't happen, because I'm going to train twice as hard as you, and become much stronger than you, Sasuke. You'll be what drives me to go that extra mile."

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but that won't happen, because I'm going to become strong enough to defeat you." Naruto turned to Sasuke and smiled that goofy smile of his. Sasuke smirked.

"Alright! No time to waste sleeping! I've got to summon Gamakichi!" Naruto said as he hopped out of bed. He immediately cringed as he grabbed his bandaged stomach, and fell to his knees.

"I don't think so, mister! Both of you have another day of rest, minimum! Pushing yourself that hard, beating each others skulls in, completely draining your chakra, and missing a night of sleep, and you think you can just hop on out of here?"

"Umm…I guess you're right." Naruto said with a laugh. "Sleep it is then!" Naruto lay down and quickly began snoring. Sasuke rolled his eyes and followed suit.

--xxx--

"Alright guys, it's about time I got out of here." Naruto said as he stood in the middle of the village. The others stood around him, Gamakichi at his feet. He had a small backpack over his shoulder and he looked at Sasuke. "Don't waste any time, Sasuke. You better give me a good fight when I come back." Sasuke nodded. "Hinata, I think I might miss you the most." Hinata blushed slightly as he hugged her tightly. "Guys, it's been a lot of fun, and I will see you in a while. Which direction, Gamakichi?"

"Naruto, first, take this." Tsunade pulled a necklace from around her neck, and slowly placed it around Naruto's neck.

"What is it?"

"A charm, may it make all your dreams come true." She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, and his eyes went wide a second. He rubbed his forehead, frowned, and furrowed his brow.

"Thanks, Grandma Tsunade!"

"I'll let you live this time…" Tsunade growled.

"No direction, kid! I'll see you in a few!" Gamakichi said as he waved and disappeared.

"Gah! Where did he go? How am I supposed to find-" Naruto was cut off as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I guess that's how." Tsunade said with a slight chuckle. "Lee, Chouji, you're going to Earth Country, right?" The two boys nodded. "Hinata, you're staying here with me, what are the rest of you doing?"

"I'm going with Temari and Kankuro to Sand Country." Shikamaru said, and the two he mentioned nodded.

"Sasuke? Where are you going?"

"I've been thinking about it, and I think I'm going to the cloud village. I was with the Raikage's children when they were killed, and I did what I could to save them, so I figure they might be grateful, and I might get one of their stronger ninja to train with me."

"Alright…Well the sage training took about four years when Jiraiya did it, so Naruto will likely be gone at least that long. You're all capable shinobi, so good luck, I know you will find success wherever you go."

"Four years?" Hinata said, her eyes flooding once again.

"About that long, but Naruto's a fast learner, when he puts his mind to it, I'm sure he'll be done sooner." Tsunade offered her a smile, and she nodded. The remaining children parted their ways, as Tsunade sighed heavily. "You ready?" Hinata looked up at her. "From here on out, you're my apprentice. It won't be easy. I don't have any obligations besides training you, so you had better be ready to work." Hinata nodded. "Good, take the rest of today to relax, but tomorrow we start."

--xxx--

"Of course you can stay with us!" The middle-aged, well muscled man said with a deep laugh. "The last Tsuchikage muscled his way into the seat, with some help from Orochimaru! Not many in the village were willing to stand up to him, so we had little choice! Now that they are both dead, the Earth Country is free once more! You are welcome, Leaf Shinobi, stay as long as you like!" Lee and Chouji beamed up at him.

"We look forward to our intense training with your shinobi!" Lee shouted.

"Food first, training second!" Chouji shouted as he clapped both hands on his stomach. The Fourth Tsuchikage laughed heavily and clamped a massive hand on Chouji's shoulder.

--xxx--

"I am sad to hear of Raiden and Yugito's fall." The Raikage said as he stood up, placing his hands behind his back.

"I would have returned sooner, but I had urgent news to bring to my friends."

"I understand completely, but this "Akatsuki" cannot be forgiven! They have taken both of my children from me! If any news of their movements comes to my attention, I will send the full force of the Hidden Cloud village down upon them!"

"We know that at least one of their members is dead, so it may take time for them to be active again, but we also know they are after the bijuu, and have at least 2 of them now."

"Then we shall be ready! Is there anything I can do for you and your friends, Sasuke Uchiha?"

"I only request that until the time that my friends have completed their training, you allow me to stay here and train with your senior shinobi."

"Bah!" He said as he put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "You fought alongside Raiden to save Yugito, and then again, risking your life, to try and save my children. Sasuke Uchiha, you are the closest thing I have to a child!"

"So I can stay then?"

"Of course!"

"And the training?"

"You will not train with our senior shinobi."

"Why?" Sasuke said, almost angry.

"I will train you myself! I can think of no better way for me to prepare for the battles that will likely ensue!" Sasuke offered a sly grin.

"Naruto, you had better train hard."

--xxx--

"Temari-sama, Kankuro-sama!" A guard outside the sand village shouted as he looked down at the small group from the massive canyon wall outside the village. "Have you come home to resume your post as the kazekage, Temari-sama?"

"No, but I have returned home. We will be staying here for some time, until the others have finished their training."

"Well welcome home all the same! Open the gate!" Shikamaru gazed into the sun blankly.

"All those guys are going to train and get pretty strong…I should probably do the same. What a drag…"

"Cheer up, Shikamaru. You can train here with us. Who knows, you might learn a thing or two." Kankuro said as he clapped a hand onto his back.

"Who knows." Shikamaru said with a smile, and followed the two siblings into the village.

--xxx--

"Agg! Where am I?" Naruto shouted out as he found himself on a cloud swept mountain, at the foot of a massive temple, decorated with several toad statues.

"Just thought you should know what it feels like to be summoned, kid!" Gamabunta boomed as he stood behind Naruto.

"Boss Gama! What kind of training are we going to do?"

"The same training Jiraiya did, a long time ago. Sage training."

"That sounds so cool! Will I be as strong as pervy sage when I'm done?"

"Maybe, if you work hard, and don't quit."

"You got it! I never back down, I never give up, and I never go back on my word!"

"That's good, kid."

"I swear to you, on the memory of Pervy Sage, Sakura, and all of Konaha, I will give this training everything I've got."

"Looks like you've got the determination to pull this off, but there is still much to be seen. First, there are a few important people you should meet. Follow me kid, into the Temple of Mount Myouboku." Naruto slowly followed Gamabunta up the massive steps, which seemed easily wide enough to allow Gamabunta to enter.

--xxx--

"What will our next move be?" Zetsu asked as all the Akatsuki members stood together in a large stone cavern.

"We have four of the nine beasts captured, including the six-tail. We will resume our movements once we have found a suitable replacement for Hidan. Until then, continue gathering information on your targets. Dismissed." Pain said loudly, and the other members began to walk away.

--xxx--

A piercing scream cut through the darkness of the underground cavern, coming from a large room with what appeared to be an operating table in the center. Kabuto stood a few feet back from the table, cringing at the song. The person on the table was sitting up, breathing heavily.

"Kabuto…" the body said as it continued its heavy breathing.

"I apologize, I've never performed the technique before."

"You should have paid closer attention when I performed it…"

"Again, I apologize, Lord Orochimaru."

"That damned Tsunade…" Orochimaru said angrily.

"I barely managed to escape with your body, the fox-child was about to destroy your corpse, and with it any hopes of you being revived."

"Excellent work, I would expect nothing less from my right hand man."

"I'm honored, Lord."

"Kabuto, this body won't do me any good…I will need to transfer into another body as soon as possible."

"What is wrong with it?"

"I don't know exactly, but it is extremely uncomfortable. You have three years to find me a replacement."

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

How was it? Good? Tell me in a review! Thanks! Also, cmon who didn't see like half of that coming? Honestly, I'm so predictable...Anyway, have a good time in whatever you do, and I'll see you all soon!


	25. Chapter 25 Fall of Konaha Shippuuden!

Hey guys! Here we are, chapter 25! This is really a milestone, 25 chapters! Thats 1/4 of 100, which as you all know, is 1/10 of 1000!

You guys know what im talking about? I hope so, cuz i sure dont! Anyway, chapter 25! Woot!

As you may have all guessed, and i hope you did, we just had a lovely little timeskip! Yay! Four long years has passed in the Naruto World, and all of our heros have been training hard! Here we go! Fall of Konaha - Shippuuden!

"Goodbye, Boss Gama! Thanks for the training!" Naruto said as he waved to the massive toad from the bottom of the temple steps.

"It's a good thing the boy got it faster than Jiraiya, don'tcha think?" Pa asked as he turned to regard the Great Toad Sage.

"Eh? Who's Jiraiya?" The old, and possibly senile toad responded from behind closed eyes.

"You old coot…you've gone senile!" Ma shouted, and she shook her head.

"He's not senile, he's just got a lot of things to remember!" Pa retorted. "Jiraiya was the younger man you trained way back when, remember?"

"…" The Great Toad sage sat in his chair without moving, though his smile stayed with him. A faint sound of snoring came from his mouth.

"You've gone to sleep! Wake up!"

"Don't be so mean to him!"

"Shut up, or I'll smack you so hard you'll be grinning in your sleep, like the old man over there!"

"Children, be nice. Husband and wife has to be nice to each other." The sage said with a goofy grin. Ma and Pa sighed.

"Goodbye, Naruto. Good luck in your missions, with your new strength, I'm sure you'll crush any enemies in your way." Pa said with a smile.

"Thanks! We'll I'm off! How do I get back to the Land of Fire?" Naruto asked when he realized he had been summoned here through a jutsu.

"The same way you got here!" Gamabunta shouted as he palmed the earth, and Naruto disappeared. "Good luck, kid."

--xxx--

"It's been a long four years…I wonder how the rest of them all made out…" Naruto said as he stood in that same tiny village.

"Naruto, you're finally back." Tsunade said as she wandered out from the tavern.

"Grandma Tsunade! You're still here?"

"Haven't I told you not to call me granny?" Tsunade said as a vein above her right eye began to twitch with rage.

"Oh, Naruto…"

"Hinata! You're still here too?!"

_It's been four years, I haven't seen him in so long…what am I supposed to say?_

"Hinata? You there?"

"Hey, Naruto-kun."

"You haven't called me Naruto-kun in a long time."

"It's been four years since you've seen each other, Naruto."

"No, even before that."

"Yeah, well, um…I have things I need to do." Hinata said as she ran back into the tavern.

"She's still kinda weird, huh?"

_Naruto, you idiot…I thought he figured it out? _Tsunade shook her head. "So, you've got new clothes, I see." He was wearing similar orange clothes, although they were slightly darker, with black trim. The cloth portion of his headband had been replaced with a thin piece of black fabric that was knotted behind his head, and trailed off in two thin strips.

"Yeah! Those old ones didn't last too long during Boss Gama's training! It was crazy!"

"I'd imagine so." Tsunade reached a hand out and ruffled his hair. "I bet you haven't matured a day, have you?"

"I've matured a lot! I'm 16 now, I can even drink legally!" Naruto said with a triumphant giggle. "Boss Gama said we couldn't have a real master/subordinate relationship until I could drink sake with him, and now I have!" Naruto gave the thumbs up.

"Drinking doesn't make you mature, Naruto."

"I'm totally mature though!" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. "Are any of the others back yet?"

"Nope, not even one of them, maybe you should go looking for them. Then again, going to three different villages in three different nations would take forever." Naruto giggled triumphantly again. "What are you laughing about?"

"Not with my new technique it won't!" Naruto continued to laugh.

"What technique is that?" Naruto dug into his bag and pulled out a kunai, and showed it to Tsunade. She took it in her hands to inspect it carefully. It had yellow markings on the handle that said "Konaha's Yellow Flash".

"You're kidding…"

"Nope!" Naruto continued to laugh. "I gave one to Sasuke, one to Shikamaru, and one to Bushy Brows before they all left! I could go to where they are instantly!"

_Mastering that technique…you really have grown, haven't you? _Tsunade looked at the child in wonder as he continued to laugh and give the thumbs up.

"I'm going to go find the others now! Bye Granny!" Naruto said, and Tsunade lunged for him, but he vanished.

"Naruto…" She growled.

--xxx--

"Ugh…The air here is so dry, and it's so hot!" Naruto commented as he appeared in a large bedroom. The walls were made of some sort of clay, and he stepped out into the sun. "I do miss the sunlight though. It's always cloudy in the mountains! Now, where's Shikamaru?" Naruto began to walk aimlessly around the village, unsure of where to begin, or where he was going.

"You! Stop!" Someone shouted, and then three sand shinobi appeared in a triangle formation, surrounding him. "Who are you, how did you get into Sunahagakure, and what is your business here?"

"Ah! What do you guys want? I haven't done anything! I'm just looking for my friend!"

"We'll ask the questions. Answer, child."

"Um ok, hold on, let me remember the questions…Um, OK! My name is Naruto Uzumaki! I came here by use of my father's special kunai, and I'm looking for my friend!"

"Did you say your name was Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Yeah! That's me!" Naruto did his triumphant giggle. "Have you heard of me?"

"Shikamaru-sama said to notify him if someone of that name ever appeared in the village. Come with us immediately."

"Great! That Shikamaru is always thinking ahead!"

"Shikamaru-sama, you have a visitor." One of the sand shinobi said as he walked into a meeting chamber.

"Oh? Who is it?"

"Come on Shikamaru, who else would it be?"

"Naruto?" Shikamaru said as he looked up from the documents he had been standing over.

"You bet! How have you been!?" Naruto shouted.

"Good, yourself?" Shikamaru said as he walked over to get a good look at him. "You definitely look different…"

"Great! Boss Gama really ran me ragged! I just wanted to gather everybody up now that I'm done with my training!"

"Is that so…I bet you're going to have your fight with Sasuke soon, huh?"

"Oh! I totally forgot about that! Boy, knowing Sasuke, he's gotten crazy strong by now…I wonder if his training will match up against mine, and the training methods Boss Gama taught me!"

"We'll have to see. It wouldn't be a fight I'd want to miss."

"Alright, I've got to go, but go back to the same village in a month! That's when the fight will be! Bye Shikamaru!" Naruto waved, and then disappeared.

"I bet he's still the same knucklehead." Shikamaru shook his head, and went back to the papers on the table. "This is such a drag…"

--xxx--

"Well, the air is still dry, but at least it's a bit cooler…now I just need to find Bushy Brows and Chouji!" Naruto ran out of the earthen hut into the open village. "Bushy Brows! Chouji! Where are you guys?" Naruto shouted.

"Are you looking for Chouji Akimichi?" an old man asked as he walked near the hut.

"Yeah! Have you seen him?"

"Not today, but he visits my grandson's restaurant twice a day, never fails. That'd be the first place I would look if I were you."

"Thanks! I should have thought of checking restaurants!"

"Chouji? Are you here?" Naruto shouted as he ran into a restaurant.

"Naruto-kun! You're just in time! Iwagakure has the best barbecue pork I've ever had! Come join me!"

"Naruto-kun, how did your training go? I am excited to hear all about how strong you have become!"

"Chouji, Bushy-brows! You guys are both here!"

"Twice a day." A well-dressed young man said as he walked towards the group. "They never fail to show up for the barbecue pork lunch special! Chouji-san, is this young man you're friend?"

"You bet!"

"One-time special, Chouji and his friends eat on the house! All you can eat barbecue pork!"

"Wow, really?" Naruto said as he began to drool.

"You bet!"

"Well, I need to go find Sasuke…But he won't mind waiting a few more hours, right? It's been four years, after all!"

"That's the spirit! Eat, eat!"

Several hours later….

"Boy, that was delicious! You were right Chouji, they do have the best barbecue pork here!"

"I AM an expert on cuisine, you know." Chouji grinned as he downed another slice.

"Well, I really need to go find Sasuke! Go back to that same little village in a month, that's where Sasuke and I are going to have our fight!"

"That is right! I had nearly forgotten! That will truly be something to witness!" Lee shouted. "Not even four long years of intense training could put out the flame of youth! Gai Sensei!" Lee shouted as tears streamed down his face.

"Bye guys!" Naruto said, and then vanished.

--xxx--

"Hmm, a dojo?"

"Raikiri!"

"What?!" Naruto shouted as he saw Sasuke spinning around to face him. "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and had the clone push him out of the way of the attack.

"So you've improved." Sasuke said with a smile.

"That wasn't the kind of welcome I was expecting…" Naruto said as he looked at Sasuke, a little worried.

"That kunai hasn't left my belt once in four years. I knew you'd master that technique you talked about. I've been expecting you."

"Alright! So I told the others to meet us at the village in a month to watch the fight!"

"No, Naruto."

"Huh?"

"I'm not waiting a month, I've waited four years already. We're going to fight now."

"The others all want to watch, though…" Naruto said as he held his hands in front of him as Sasuke slowly advanced. He wore a white gi that exposed a large portion of his chest with black pants, and a katana at his belt. His hair was in the same fashion, and a small Uchiha symbol lay between his shoulder blades.

"I just said, I'm not waiting any longer. Whether you decide to fight back is up to you, Naruto, but I highly doubt you will win if you don't. I've waited for this battle for four long years. I've endured countless battles, and life-threatening training just to come to this moment. I need to see just how far you have come." Sasuke tilted his head slightly and smiled his same smile. "I need to see just how far I have come." In the blink of an eye, Sasuke's left arm was held horizontal, and Naruto's special kunai was embedded in the wall. Naruto had leapt back a good foot.

"What the hell was that for?" Naruto said angrily.

"I'm not going to fall prey to that technique, Naruto."

"Oh, right…"

"Shall we begin?" Sasuke said as he grinned maliciously, slowly drawing the long, thing katana from its sheath.

--xxx--

"Kentogatta Unabara, do you understand your mission as the newest member of our organization?" The multi-color visage of Pain asked as it stood face-face with another man.

"Please, Pain-sama, call me Ken. My full name is much too formal." The blonde haired, blue eyed young man, not far into his twenties, smiled as he closed his eyes. His features were soft, and the only thing to identify him as an akatsuki member was the ring on his left-index finger.. He wore wooden sandals, and the wide-brimmed hat many of his compatriots wore. His clothing was simple, mostly light colors, and a very plain rope belt that held an ornate sheath, which housed a katana. The handle was decorated masterfully, the pommel taking on the shape of a giant squid.

"Do you understand your mission?"

"Yes, everything is crystal clear, Pain-sama."

"Very well then. You are dismissed." Ken bowed with one hand on his sheath, then turned to walk away. "Kentogatta." Pain said before he managed to completely exit.

"Yes, Pain-sama?" He said as he turned and gave him another wide smile with his eyes closed.

"I expect you to complete this mission in a manner befitting a former member of the seven ninja swordsmen of the mist."

"Of course, Pain-sama." He maintained the same grin, bowed, and walked out.

OMG who ever thought id recycle shippuuden plot devices? Oh well, I hope the subtle ways I changed them worked for y'all. Basically, when you imagine their costumes, imagine them to be as they are in Shippuuden, cuz thats how I imagine them. Sasuke's of course, is changed, cuz he doesnt have that lame purple belt of Orochimaru's. If you havent seen Shippuuden, either look up the characters, or tell me in a reply and in the next segment ill toss out some descriptions. Who knows, I might decide to change a little something - something. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, despite the fact that it had like no action. Thanks for reading, and please please review!


	26. Chapter 26 Naruto vs Sasuke

Hey guys, I've been really getting into the story since i moved into shippuuden, and i can't stop writing! I've already got a good portion of 27 going, and i figured there was no point in making you guys wait! Anyway, i know lots of you are dying for the Sasuke/Naruto battle now that they are done training, so here you go! I hope this does it for you!

Naruto and Sasuke stood some ten feet apart as they stared across the dojo.

"Are you ready, Naruto?"

"As I'll ever be, Sasuke."

"Good." Sasuke disappeared, then reappeared behind Naruto, sword drawn back in both hands as he moved in a powerful downward arc.

"Sasuke-kun." A deep voice said, and Sasuke stopped his attack immediately, landing silently on his feet.

"Yes, Raikage-sensei?" Sasuke said as he stood completely still.

"Raikage…sensei?" Naruto asked as he looked at Sasuke. "So that's where we are, and that's who's been training you!"

"Sasuke-kun, I know this battle means much to you, but I must ask you to hold off for just a few minutes."

"Why, Raikage-sensei?" Sasuke said with a bit of anger in his voice.

"I have come to like this dojo, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't destroy it. Please, move your battle outside."

"Very well. Come, Naruto, I know a plateau down the mountain side that would be perfect."

--xxx--

"I fought here, just over four years ago, against two akatsuki members." Naruto and Sasuke stood on a plateau off the side of a vast mountain. Clouds that gave the village it's name swirled above and below them.

"You and I both know you aren't interested in nostalgia."

"Well, you aren't as dense as you once were. I hope that isn't all you've improved upon."

"Don't make the mistake of thinking I was twiddling my thumbs for four years, Sasuke. Boss Gama was ruthless."

"Let's hope so. Are you ready?"

"Whenever you are, Sasuke."

"Then let's begin." At his words, Naruto leapt forward, and lashed out with a backhand. It was quick, but Sasuke was quicker. He arced his back, caught himself on his hands, and vaulted over them, landing on his feet. "You are far too slow, Naruto." As soon as he finished his sentence, he held a hand up to his right cheek. A long, thin slash appeared across his cheek as it became colored bright red. "You didn't make contact, how did you do that?"

"You're right, I didn't hit you, but Boss Gama showed me chakra nature manipulation. Turns out that my chakra is wind natured, and wind is very good at cutting. By focusing my chakra around my fist, just the wind moved by my attack can cut your skin."

"That's a neat trick, Naruto, but it won't win the fight."

"No matter how fast you are, if I can injure you, Sasuke, I can win." Sasuke gave him an arrogant smile, then disappeared. Naruto stood motionless for a long moment until Sasuke appeared only slightly behind him, his sword stabbing straight towards Naruto's back. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and a clone appeared behind Naruto, facing Sasuke. It put its hands on Sasuke's biceps, limiting the distance he could stab. The clone was run through, and then disappeared, but the blade came just short of Naruto's back. "Rasengan!" Naruto shouted as the sphere appeared in his right hand and he spun around, forcing it towards Sasuke's chest. Sasuke pulled his sword arm back and spun to his side, dodging around the attack, then slashed his sword down, cutting through Naruto's back. He disappeared into a puff of smoke, and all was quiet. Sasuke looked around cautiously.

"SASUKE!!" Half a dozen Naruto's shouted as they dropped from the sky, landing around Sasuke, grabbing onto him, pinning him down. The real Naruto burst from below the earth, along with another clone at his side.

"There are more important things than this fight, so I'm ending it here and now! Odama Rasengan!" Naruto shouted as he rushed towards the crowd of struggling Narutos.

"Chidori Nagashi!" Sasuke shouted from beneath the pile of Narutos, and a large, crackling sphere of lightning ran from Sasuke's body, destroying all the clones. He then easily dodged Naruto, chopping his one extra clone in the back with a single hand. "Naruto, you may have become stronger, but you use the same techniques, and you haven't gotten any faster. You won't win."

"You should know better than that, Sasuke." Naruto said as he drew a kunai.

"What do you mean?"

"I just don't know when to quit. You could be 100 times faster than me, and I'd still never give up."

"They didn't call you the knucklehead ninja for nothing, did they?"

"Anyway, I'm sure you're still as impatient as ever, so I won't keep you waiting too long. Let's do this." Sasuke just grinned, and they ran at each other. Naruto stopped short, leapt into the air, and flipped over Sasuke's head, landing behind him. He spun on a dime and lurched out with a mighty backhand. Sasuke ducked under Naruto's arm, and spun around, elbowing Naruto in the stomach. Naruto coughed, and spat on contact, and hung his head. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's shirt with both hands, grinning, as he jerked Sasuke towards him, head butting him. Sasuke stumbled backwards, but Naruto's grip on his shirt remained firm.

"I don't care how fast you are, Sasuke. I've got a hold on you, and I'm not letting go."

"Fine with me." Sasuke said as he kicked out with his right foot, his toe catching Naruto's jaw. Sasuke quickly switched feet, and delivered a roundhouse kick to Naruto's ribs. Naruto's grip on Sasuke's shirt gave, but Sasuke grabbed Naruto's wrist, pulling him back in with his right hand as he slugged Naruto with his left. Sasuke released his grip as Naruto flew into the mountainside. Rocks crashed and fell as Naruto's body burrowed a hole in the mountain. Dust rose slowly with the wind, and it was quiet.

"SASUKE!" Naruto shouted as he burst out of the mountain suddenly, with surprising speed, smashing a fist into his friend's jaw. Sasuke was completely taken by surprise, and he sailed away from Naruto as the orange clad ninja landed on his feet, leaning fully into the punch. Sasuke rolled over in midair, landed on his feet, and skidded some distance, his hand out forward, forming a three-point stance. Sasuke began to stand up as Naruto spoke. "Don't make the mistake of thinking I was twiddling my thumbs for four years." Sasuke smirked. Naruto ran towards him, shouting, and he maintained that same cocky grin.

--xxx--

"Master."

"Yes, Kakuzu?"

"What is it you want me to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've sent my partner on a solo mission. What would you have me do in the mean time?"

"You like referring to yourself as the treasurer of Akatsuki, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Do your job, then. When Kentogatta returns, you will resume your search for the Jinchūriki that you are responsible for."

"Very well." Kakuzu bowed, and disappeared.

--xxx--

Naruto and Sasuke punched out with their right hands, smashing knuckles as they met in a stalemate. Sasuke punched with his left hand under their arms, which Naruto caught with his own left hand. Naruto moved his fingers quickly, and grasped Sasuke's right hand, and now the two had a firm grasp on each other's hands. Naruto kicked with his left leg, and Sasuke blocked with his right knee. Sasuke spun to the side, breaking the grip Naruto had on his hands, then ducked low and swept his foot in a wide arc. Naruto did a short jump, and so Sasuke leaned back, kicking straight up. Naruto caught Sasuke's foot in both hands, but that didn't stop him from being forced upward by the kick. Sasuke did a quick hand seal, and in a flash of lightning, reappeared above Naruto, dropping a heel into his head. Naruto began to head earthwards, and Sasuke streamlined his body to drop faster, quickly catching up with Naruto. He flew past his falling friend, elbowing him hard in the stomach as he passed. This caused Naruto's descent to pause rapidly, and so Sasuke spread his body out, slowing his fall as well. Sasuke rolled over backwards in midair, backhanded Naruto's ribs on the opposite side. He continued in his roll, kicking Naruto in the stomach, then getting under Naruto and kneeing him in the stomach.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, and four Sasuke's appeared on the ground below. "Lion's Den jutsu!" Sasuke shouted, and the four Sasuke's leapt upwards, punching and kicking Naruto. Naruto fell to the ground, and Sasuke landed nimbly on his feet some distance away. Naruto put a hand on the ground, and began to lift himself up slowly. Blood was trailing from his mouth, and he smiled at Sasuke.

"I forgot…That you learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Naruto said with a laugh. He rubbed the blood off his mouth with a tight fist. "The only difference between my clones…and yours." Naruto said as he looked up at Sasuke. "Is that I can use a lot more. Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and the plateau was nearly filled with Naruto's, save the small circle in which Sasuke and his four clones stood.

"That may be true, but a loser is a loser." Sasuke said as he and his clones started dashing through the Naruto's, ripping them apart. "No matter how many of him there are." Sasuke said with a smirk once the clones were reduced to only a handful.

"I'll show you a loser, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, and his clones charged. Sasuke and his clones braced for impact, and they began fighting. None of the clones, Naruto or Sasuke's, lasted long, and as the last one disappeared, Naruto used the smokescreen in front of Sasuke to hurl a kunai. Sasuke sidestepped lazily, avoiding the throw. Naruto repeated the process over and over, throwing faster and closer to his mark with each throw.

"Your aim isn't any better than in the academy days." Sasuke ridiculed, and smiled as he continued to weave around the kunai without difficulty. Naruto continued to throw the kunai, and Sasuke continued to bob and weave. Sasuke happened to look at one of the kunai as it passed, and saw a single yellow word, 'Flash'. His eyes opened wide, and he was face to face with Naruto.

"I wasn't trying to hit you with the kunai!" Naruto shouted as he slugged Sasuke downward in the head, causing him to bow. Naruto then backhanded him, sending Sasuke into the mountain. Sasuke crashed into the wall, and slowly pulled himself from the rocks. "I'm not done!" Naruto said, and before Sasuke realized it, he saw the kunai flying in again. He ducked under it, but Naruto appeared and slammed his fist into Sasuke's stomach, pushing him into the mountain. Naruto slugged Sasuke over and over, pushing him deeper into the rock wall with each punch. Naruto reared back to punch, extended, and stopped before execution, as Sasuke caught his hand. He looked at Naruto through a red veil, blood all over his face, his eyes filled with anger. He punched out, nailing Naruto in the nose, sending him stumbling backwards. He leapt out from his little cave, and while still in mid-air he kicked Naruto across the jaw with his right foot. He spun in the air, kicking straight into Naruto's chest with his left foot before landing. He didn't stop there, hitting the ground running, and delivered an uppercut to Naruto's chin. He spun rapidly and backhanded Naruto's jaw, before punching him square in the face. He did a short jump and kicked Naruto with both feet hard in the chest. Naruto fell head over heels, barely stopping one on foot and one knee before the edge of the plateau. Sasuke stood there, breathing heavily, his shirt ripped, his chest badly bruised, and his face bloody, glaring at Naruto.

"Raikiri!" Sasuke said, and he ran towards Naruto as he activated his sharingan. Naruto had barely begun to stand, and made no effort to avoid the attack. "Naruto!" Sasuke roared.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said as his friend got closer. Kisame Hoshigake dropped from the sky, sword leading, as it crashed into the earth just between the two. Sasuke quickly stopped his path, skidding to a halt. The earth under Naruto's feet gave way, and he began to fall. A pale blue hand grasped Naruto's arm roughly, and lifted him upwards. He landed roughly on Kisame's shoulder, who had a firm grasp on the child. Naruto began to speak, but Kisame quickly punched Naruto straight in the nose, and his eyes went wide before they went lazy, and then shut. Naruto hung limp on the shark-like man's shoulders, who seemed rather pleased with himself.

"Thanks for the help, kid, but we'll take the brat from here." Kisame said with a wicked grin. Kisame waved to Sasuke, shouldered Samehada, and then leapt off the cliff. Sasuke began to run towards him, and stopped immediately as Itachi landed in front of him. Sasuke looked at him in what could only be described as shock, perhaps even a little terror.

"You've waited almost 10 years, little brother. I'll give you a chance to kill me now, I won't run from you if you want to fight." Sasuke began to walk away from Itachi, backing up slowly.

_I can't fight him in this state, and even if I could…That other guy would get away with Naruto!_

"No? Fine then, I guess you don't care for the boy as much as you did the girl back in Konaha, or Kakashi. I also suppose that means you truly don't have enough hatred for me. I'll leave you alone." Itachi began to turn and walk away.

"Itachi!" Sasuke shouted, and he began to run towards Itachi. Itachi turned, his face as calm as ever. Sasuke reared back with his right fist as the gap between them closed. Itachi made no move to defend. Sasuke's hand crossed over his own chest, and the distance was almost nothing, but still Itachi did not move. Sasuke suddenly brought his left hand up to meet his right hand, forming a hand sign, then disappearing in a bolt of lightning that arced jaggedly past Itachi, traveling quickly down the cliff. Itachi stood alone on the plateau as wind swept across it.

"So, you love the nine-tailed boy more than you hate me, little brother. You've come a long way."

--xxx--

"NARUTO!" Sasuke shouted as he fell down the side of the mountain, having rapidly caught up with Kisame, who was simply free falling. Kisame gave an odd laugh as he looked over his shoulder, watching the boy following him.

"You obviously didn't kill Itachi that quickly, so this brat must mean a lot to you. Makes me wonder why the two of you were fighting like that."

"Get your hands off Naruto or I'll kill you!"

"In your state, you aren't one who should be making threats, boy."

"I'm in a great position to be making threats!" Sasuke shouted as he hurled a kunai down. Kisame adjusted, and allowed the kunai to strike Naruto in the back.

"Is that so?" Kisame said with a laugh as Naruto groaned in his state of unconsciousness.

"Naruto!" Sasuke said as his face became wracked with pain. His hair grew long and white, his eyes changed to a pale grey, and long black wings burst from his back, and he began to fall faster as the wings speeded him on his path. "Let go of him!" Sasuke shouted, drawing his sword. He quickly caught up with Kisame, and slashed wide on the opposite side of Naruto. Kisame adjusted to block with Samehaha, which was strapped to his back. Sasuke used his superior mobility to slash at several angles, and Kisame began to have trouble blocking with a sheathed weapon.

"If that's how you want it, I guess I can't argue." Kisame said as he shrugged, and Naruto slipped off his shoulder. "Oops…" Kisame said as that same grin crossed his mouth and he laughed. Sasuke began to urge himself downward to catch the falling Naruto, but Kisame held Samehaha in his way.

"Uh uh ah! I don't think so. I complied with your request, so you'll comply with mine. Now we fight!" Kisame roared as he dug Samehada into the mountainside. Rocks shot in every direction and dust poured from the crevice he created as he slowed his descent suddenly. He held out a single fist as Sasuke rushed past him, catching the Uchiha hard in the stomach. Blood and spit flew from his mouth, and his eyes grew wide. Kisame pulled Samehada out of the mountain, using his sword arm to elbow Sasuke in the back. He then streamlined his body to fall faster than the awkwardly tumbling Sasuke to land on his back as Sasuke righted himself. He reached down, grabbing one of Sasuke's wings as he placed a boot on a joint, and jerked upward hard. A resounding crack was heard as the bone snapped, and the wing went limp. Sasuke's one good wing flapped furiously, but to no avail, and Sasuke fell. He rolled over in the air, looking upward to Kisame with an expression of loss, his eyes wide and his mouth ajar, as he reached upward in vain. Kisame laughed his same eerie laugh as he began to force himself to fall faster.

"They wouldn't be too happy with me if I let the nine-tailed boy die, would they?" Kisame said with a laugh and a grin. "Itachi wouldn't let me live if I let his brother die, come to think of it. All that effort wasted, and I was having such fun too. Saving lives just seems like a waste of time, doesn't it, Samehada?"

Well, what did you think? Who saw that coming? Come on, don't lie, you sooo didn't expect Kisame and Itachi to break up the fight! Alright maybe you did expect the fight to be broken up, but eh, what can I say, I'm a fan of dramatic entrances, especially when its the bad guys. Thanks for reading guys, you're all great! Please review and tell me your thoughts, it makes writing so much more worthwhile! Bye!


	27. Chapter 27 It's a long way down

Hey guys! Back again! I'm really getting into the story, and I hope all of you are as well! I can barely stop writing! I hope this doesn't affect my school work...Oh well. Anyway, I know I left you guys with quite the cliffhanger last time, so I figured I shouldn't keep you waiting! Enjoy the conclusion of Naruto vs. Sasuke!

Kisame attempted to drop faster, but he knew that he couldn't accelerate much more. He watched Naruto's falling body break through the cloudline, and he was about 100 feet above him. Sasuke was still tumbling awkwardly, creating more air resistance, so Kisame caught up with him. He jabbed Sasuke with the hilt of Samehada in the back of the head, and Sasuke fell unconscious. He tucked him under one arm, and broke through the clouds. The ground was in sight, and Naruto was way ahead of him.

"Oops…" Kisame said with a slight laugh. "They might just kick me out for this one…" He saw a tiny figure leaping up the mountainside, and then leap out to snatch Naruto from the sky. "Itachi?" Kisame said as he squinted, but couldn't make out much for details. He dug Samehada into the mountain again, greatly slowing his descent, before lightly touching down. He took a few long strides before stopping next to the other person. He grabbed their shoulder when he realized it wasn't Itachi, and forced them to spin around. He was greeted by a goofy smile and closed eyes.

"Oh, hello Kisame-sama. Is this the boy you are responsible for?"

"Kentogatta?"

"Call me Ken, please. Kentogatta is much to formal."

"Then why do you always called everyone Sama?" Kisame said quietly, and it was clear Ken didn't hear him when he began to walk away.

"Itachi-sama! You're here to?"

"Kisame, put Sasuke-kun down, and then Ken, give Kisame the boy. We are taking him back to be extracted."

"I'm sorry, Itachi-sama, Kisame-sama, but I can't do that. I need this boy as part of my mission from Pain-sama." Ken continued to smile.

"That's right, I heard that the new guy got a solo mission. What is your mission?" Kisame said angrily.

"Pain-sama says that I'm to infiltrate the group from Konaha, and ally with them, for now."

"Why do you need this boy for that?"

"He is their leader, isn't he? With the fox, he is certainly the strongest, as well as the quickest to trust. He is also respected by his teammates because he never gives up. If I make him my friend, they will all be my friends." Ken smiled and set Naruto down. "If you don't mind, my job would be much easier if you weren't standing here when they woke up."

"Kisame, put Sasuke-kun down and lets go." Kisame grumbled incoherently but obeyed. He set Sasuke down next to Naruto, and the two walked off. Ken pulled out some medicinal herbs and began to apply them to the boys' wounds, smiling all the while.

--xxx--

"Ah, you're finally awake." Naruto woke to a smiling face leaning over him. He sat up slowly and touched his fingers to his wounds, noting the bandages.

"Where am I?"

"You're outside Kumogakure. You took quite a fall."

"What? Where did I fall from?"

"The top of the mountain, I'm guessing. Two guys in black robes with red clouds were here, but they didn't seem like they wanted to fight me."

"Fight you? You're a ninja?"

"I know I don't dress the part, but I'm actually a jonin from Kiragakure." Ken smiled warmly at Naruto. "This sword is my prized possession." He said as he put a hand on the pommel.

"Oh…Hey! Is Sasuke ok?"

"Is that your friend's name? He should be fine, he wasn't beaten up any worse than you."

"Wait, are you a medical ninja?"

"Oh, no, but I do know a little bit about first aid."

"Well, thanks!" Naruto said as he stood up. "I actually feel great, are you sure you're not a medical ninja?"

"No, just some special medicine, family recipe. Your bijuu couldn't hurt your healing rate, either."

"How do you know about that…?" Naruto said as he took a step away.

"The two men, they referred to you as "the nine-tailed brat". I can only imagine that means you are the nine-tailed Jinchuriki, right?"

"Oh…yeah, they were from a group called akatsuki, trying to gather all the tailed-beasts."

"Oh, is that so…so that's why they were after you."

"Yeah, it's odd that they gave up so easily. You must be pretty strong!"

"Well, I don't know if I'm all that strong." Ken said with a wide smile.

"No, really! All the members of akatsuki are s-class shinobi! If they didn't want to fight you 2 on 1, you must be as strong as a kage!"

"I wouldn't go that far." Ken kept the same goofy smile.

"Hey, what's your name? You saved our lives, so the least you can do is tell us your name!"

"Oh, my name is Kentogatta Unabara, but you can call me Ken. My full name is much too formal." Ken offered a hand to Naruto.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto said as he clasped Ken's hand firmly. "My friend is Sasuke! I'm sure he'll thank you when he's awake! Hey, Sasuke, wake up! Those guys are gone!" Naruto said as he shook Sasuke roughly.

"He'll be fine, but he was badly injured, don't rough him up too much." Ken said with a smile. "You should probably rest some more yourself."

"No, I'm fine! I always heal quickly! Hey, Sasuke, you're awake! This guy saved us!" Sasuke's vision was blurry, and as he came to he grabbed for his back as he winced, then realized his wings were gone. "Are you ok, Sasuke?" Naruto said as he helped his friend to his feet.

"I'm fine." Sasuke said as he shook Naruto's hand off."

"I'm sorry we didn't get to finish our fight, Sasuke." Naruto said as he looked at his friend.

"Don't worry about it."

"Once we are healed up a bit, we can start it again!"

"That's ok, Naruto, we don't need to."

"What? It was so important to you before."

"It doesn't seem so significant anymore."

"Why not?"

"Four years I've been training for this day, only thinking about you. I haven't thought about Itachi once in four years. Compared to him, our fight is meaningless. You said it right earlier, Naruto. There are more important things than that fight." Naruto smiled as he regarded Sasuke, and Ken maintained his natural grin.

"Alright. I guess we should get back to the others, huh?" Naruto said.

"Not just yet, you two shouldn't be traveling. Stay with me tonight, and tomorrow we will see."

"You sure sound like a medical ninja." Naruto said as his arms crossed and he frowned. Ken laughed and Sasuke sighed.

--xxx--

"Wow, that is some story." Ken said as Naruto finished telling him the tale of the fall of Konaha. "I had heard that Konaha had been destroyed, but it was hard to believe. The Land of Fire had the greatest military strength of any of the five great nations in the great shinobi wars." The three sat around a fire later that night, at the bottom of the mountain that held Kumogakure.

"Two villages attacked Konaha, and they had help from two very powerful enemies."

"I see. This Orochimaru fellow does not sound like a very nice person." Ken said with a smile.

"He's dead now, so we don't need to worry about that anymore. Now its just Akatsuki that's after us, and the other Jinchuriki. We know they've already taken several of the tailed beasts for their own purposes." Sasuke said. He stood up slowly and looked around. "I should get back to Raikage-sensei, he's probably worried by now."

"I wouldn't worry about that, he's the Raikage. He's got plenty of things to occupy his mind."

"Four years ago he told me I was the closest thing he had to a son."

"Oh, I see. Well, regardless, I'm sure he won't worry too much if you're gone one night. I don't think that you should be making the trip up the mountain, Sasuke-san."

"I suppose your right. My back is still kind of sore…" Sasuke said as he rotated his shoulder a few times.

"So, you said you're from the Hidden Mist Village, why are you here, and where will you go next?"

"Well, I'm here because…The Hidden Mist doesn't like me very much." Ken smiled again, and Naruto looked confused.

"You mean you're a missing –nin?"

"I suppose you could say that."

"Sasuke maybe we should go, I don't think we should hang around someone if their own village doesn't want them anymore."

"No, you don't understand, Naruto-san. I didn't do anything wrong, I just wouldn't play by the rules of the graduation exam that gave the village the name "Bloody Mist"."

"Oh, you mean the one they stopped when Zabuza killed his whole class?"

"Yes, how do you know of Zabuza?"

"We fought against him a long time ago, back when we were just barely genin. Our sensei killed him several years ago."

"Oh, I see. It's been a long time since I saw Zabuza-sama."

"Zabuza-sama?"

"Oh, yes, he was the member that vouched for my entrance into the Swordsmen of the Mist." Ken's smile was still plastered across his face.

"You were one of the seven ninja swordsmen?"

"That's correct, They are all Missing-nin from the Mist village. I was allowed to join after I tried to stop the Mizukage from re-initiating the bloody mist exam. I was exiled, but shortly after, they changed their mind, and never ended up continuing the exam."

"Oh, so you're not a bad guy, it's the Mizukage who's a bad guy!" Naruto shouted.

"You've got it." Ken still smiled.

"Why do you smile so much?" Sasuke asked flatly.

"Because when I was banished from the Mist village, I was a very angry person. After awhile, I found that it was just easier to smile all the time, and now I can't ever seem to not smile, even when I'm fighting, and nothing really makes me angry anymore."

"You're kind of weird, aren't you, Kentogatta?" Naruto said as he looked at the man oddly through the firelight.

"Ken, please. My full name is much too formal." Ken's face stayed in the same silly grin, and Sasuke scowled.

--xxx--

"WHAT?" The Raikage paced back and forth around his palace angrily as Sasuke gave him the count of the day before. "Four years ago, this organization known as Akatsuki takes both of my children from me! Then, I had no idea who or what they were. I have spent much time and many resources to discover more about this criminal organization! Now, they have tried to take my adopted son from me, and we know that they wish to take the Jinchuriki from the villages! That would include my brother, Kirabi, as well! This cannot be allowed! Denrei! Come to me!" He shouted as he continued to pace. A cloud ninja landed in front of the Raikage almost instantly after being summoned.

"Yes, Raikage-sama! What are your orders?" Denrei was a slim, short man who appeared even tinier in front of the physically massive Raikage. The two were practically physical opposites, where Denrei was clean-shaven, the Raikage had a thick, two part mustache, and where Denrei's hair was almost entirely contained within his headband, the Raikage had a massive amount of white, bushy hair.

"Send a squad of our strongest ninja to each of the major villages! Let Akatsuki stand up against the combined might of the four remaining great nations! I am demanding a summit with the other Kages, and we will see how Akatsuki fares!"

"Yes, Lord Raikage. Messengers will be sent to Sunagakure, Iwagakure, and Kirigakure, and a meeting with their Kage's will be requested!"

"They have attacked my family for the last time! Akatsuki will tremble at the combined might of the great nations!"

--xxx--

"I understand if you have to take your leave, Sasuke-kun, and you are always welcome in my home." The Raikage stood proudly next to Sasuke as he and Naruto prepared to leave.

"Thank you for everything, Raikage-sensei."

"You are most welcome, Sasuke-kun! Travel safely, and good luck." He held out a hand, which Sasuke did not hesitate to take. Sasuke cringed just barely as the Raikage crushed his hand in his grip.

"Thanks for everything! We'll see you around!" Naruto said as he waved. "Sasuke, are you ready?"

"Wait, Naruto-kun!" Ken said as he appeared in the room.

"What's up, Ken?" Naruto asked as he looked up.

"I was wondering if it might be possible for me to tag along with you. I don't have a lot of friends, you see," Ken said with a smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "And since you are my newest friend, I cannot simply allow Akatsuki to kill you for their own purposes."

"Sure Ken! You can come with us!" Ken smiled back at Naruto, and Sasuke remained unmoved. "Ken, Sasuke, grab onto me!"

"Why?" Sasuke asked as he grabbed on, while Ken just smiled and obliged.

"OK, are you guys ready?"

"For what?"

"For the Flying Thunder God technique!" Naruto shouted as his hands met in a single hand seal. They disappeared and the Raikage looked upward as he tapped his chin.

"Where have I heard of that technique before?" The Raikage sighed as he shrugged his shoulders. "Must be getting on in age, my father always told me that when you get old, everything starts to sound familiar!"

--xxx--

"Bushy Brows! Chouji! I'm back!"

"Naruto-kun! You brought Sasuke as well?!" Lee shouted. "And another? Who is this, Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah Lee, I'm here." Sasuke said with a smile.

"This is Kentogatta! He saved me and Sasuke from an akatsuki member!"

"Please, Naruto-san, Ken. My full name is much too formal."

"Ken-san! If you have rescued Naruto and Sasuke, then surely you are friends with us as well!" Lee shouted as he offered a hand. Ken took it and shook as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I really didn't so any saving, I caught Naruto and Sasuke as they fell, and the two akatsuki members saw me, then ran off."

"Yeah! He scared off two members of akatsuki! He won't admit it, but I bet he's as strong as a kage! Anyone, we can continue this later. We've got to collect the others! Grab onto me, guys!" Naruto shouted.

"What?" Chouji said, slightly confused.

"Just do it, Chouji." Sasuke said as he grabbed onto Naruto's jacket. The others grabbed on as well as Naruto began to focus.

"I've never tried this with five people, but Gama Bunta swears it should be possible! As long as everyone is touching me, we should be good! Wait, Bushy brows, hold onto this kunai just in case!" Naruto said as he handed one of the special kunai to Lee. Lee nodded, and Naruto resumed his focusing. "Here we go!"

--xxx--

"Naruto! You can't just use that jutsu all the time! You never know where people might be when you use that!" Temari shouted as the five appeared in a bedroom. Shikamaru was across the room, looking inconspicuously out the window.

"Or what they might be doing." Naruto said with a laugh. She slammed his skull with her fist, causing him to black out, twitch, and drool for several seconds. When he came to, Shikamaru was much closer to him. 'Unnh…It's like a whole nother Sakura…' Naruto lamented.

"So I guess you can use that technique for more than just yourself, huh, Naruto?"

"You bet I can!"

"Naruto, you just found that out yourself…" Chouji said as he sighed.

"Anyway, get ready! We're going to the village with Granny Tsunade now!"

"You'll have to wait, we aren't ready to leave just yet." Naruto sighed as Temari spoke.

"Well hurry up!"

"We have to go find Kankuro, idiot, and then we have to get our things together!"

"I've got an idea!" Naruto shouted, and he leaped to stand on the windows. "You guys pack, I'll find Kankuro! Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and hundreds of Narutos began to leap from the building, shouting Kankuro's name.

"That idiot…Does he ever run out of chakra?" Temari asked.

"Not usually." Shikamaru said with a smile. "Let's get our stuff together hu- Temari." Shikamaru corrected himself quickly in mid sentence.

"What was that, Shikamaru?" Chouji said with a broad grin as he elbowed his friend in the ribs.

"I found him!" Three Naruto's shouted as they forcefully carried Kankuro into the room.

"Naruto, there isn't enough room in here…" Shikamaru sighed.

"OK, THAT'S IT! EVERYONE OUT!" Temari shouted as the sand on the floor tossed them all out the window. Everyone was covered in smoke as dozens of Naruto's were destroyed by the sand. Everyone landed outside, on the ground, and on their feet, except Ken. He had landed head first in a mound of sand, and was buried up to the waist. His legs twitched awkwardly as the others brushed themselves off.

"How did he scare off two members of Akatsuki, especially when one was Itachi?" Sasuke commented.

"I don't know…" Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head. Chouji reached over and pulled the man out of the sand.

"Thank you…um…I apologize, I do not know your name." Ken said as he began to cough, then cleared his throat and spit sand from his mouth.

"Chouji Akimichi!" He said with a smile as he offered a hand.

"Ah, thank you, Chouji-san. Ken said as he took the hand, and Chouji helped him to his feet.

"Shikmaru! Temari! Come on, we've got to go see Granny Tsunade!" Naruto shouted.

"So Sasuke-kun, are you excited for your battle with Naruto? I am sure that it will be something to see!"

"We already fought."

"You did!?" Lee shouted as tears streamed down his face.

"Who won?" Chouji asked.

"I wanted to watch…" Lee said as he continued to cry.

"Neither of us." Sasuke said as he hands found their way into his pockets.

"What? Was it another tie?" Lee said, very disappointed.

"No." Sasuke said as he walked slowly away.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun! I have more questions! Tell me about the battle! Sasuke-kun!" Lee shouted as he chased after him.

"Ok, Naruto. We're ready. Let's hit the road." Naruto just giggled in response as Kankuro spoke. "What's his deal?"

"I don't think he planned on walking." Shikamaru said with a smile. "I gotta tell you, Naruto, I'm not really all that sure about this."

"What? It's totally painless!" Naruto said. "I've done it a million times, we'll be fine!"

"Have you ever done it with eight other people?"

"Well, no…but it worked fine with four, so we should be ok!" Naruto said, giving Shikamaru the thumbs up.

"If you say so Naruto…Temari, Kankuro, grab onto Naruto." They did so, as did Sasuke, Lee, Chouji, Shikamaru, and Ken.

"Alright! Granny Tsunade, here we come!" Naruto put his hands together and closed his eyes.

--xxx--

"Nice job Naruto, we made it…I think everyone is here, too.' Chouji said happily.

"Good thing too…Walking all that distance is such a drag…"

"Excellent job, Naruto-san." Ken said happily.

"Naruto-kun?" Lee said as he looked around.

"Where's Naruto?" Temari asked.

"Look down…" Sasuke said as he directed them with his eyes. Naruto lay flat on the ground, his pupils rolled into his head, his mouth open, and drooling.

"See Temari, he runs out of chakra." Shikamaru said calmly. Chouji and Ken leaned over, supporting his weight between the two of them. His feet were dragging, and his body hung limp. He had yet to make any movement on his own.

"Tsunade, we're back." Chouji said as he they walked into the common room of the inn and looked around. The kunai she had been handed by Naruto the day he returned had been sitting in a small, empty bedroom. All that could be heard were increasingly loud footsteps, until someone shouted.

"NARUTO!" Tsunade roared as she burst into the room, clobbering the already lifeless child. He flew threw a wall and out into the street, where he remained motionless.

"Naruto-san…" Ken said, and for the first time he was not smiling, wearing instead an expression of terror at Tsunade's strength and anger; as well as concern for Naruto's well being. "You must be Tsunade, grand daughter of Hashirame Senju." Ken said as he regained his smile before anyone had noticed.

"Tsunade-sama…you really shouldn't let your temper get to you…" Hinata said as she walked into the room.

"What did Naruto do to earn that, Lady Tsunade?!" Lee said in fear.

"He called me Granny." Kankuro leaned over to Shikamaru.

"That happened in Sunagakure…How did she know?" He said with bewilderment.

"HE SAID IT AGAIN?!" Tsunade said as she stomped outside.

"Oh, Naruto-san…" Ken said as he rubbed the back of his head helplessly. Tsunade could be seen outside, holding Naruto by his collar, slapping him silly. He had a severely dazed look as he was battered.

"I'm guessing he did it before he collected all of us." Shikamaru said as he shook his head.

"Tsunade-sama!" Hinata said as she quickly went outside, using the door, which was a much further walk than the hole, as Tsunade had done.

"Don't, ever, call me, that, again!" Tsunade shouted, her words interrupted with a brutal slap.

"Why is she so upset over him calling her Granny twice?" Chouji asked as the group moved outside.

"Well, when he came back, he said it, then left suddenly, she's been brooding since he left. She's barely done anything but drink." Hinata answered sadly. "Oh, Naruto-kun…"

--xxx--

"Raikage-sama, all the messengers have been dispatched, and are on their way to the other-" Denrei was cut off as The Raikage leapt to his feet and broke his desk with a single hand.

"Konaha's Yellow Flash!" He shouted.

"Uh..Raikage-sama?" Denrei asked, confused.

"That technique the blonde-boy used when he left! The Flying Thunder God Technique, created by Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage!"

"Now that you mention it, the blonde boy DID look strikingly similar to the Fourth Hokage."

"That's it! He must be the son of the Fourth Hokage! I knew i remembered that technique." The Raikage seemed very pleased with himself. "Now, Denrei, what were you saying?"

Well, did you enjoy it? Did anyone guess that Ken would show up? I tried not to make it painfully obvious what his mission was till he had to tell them, but i suppose it's still fairly logical that you might have put it together. I got the basic idea for Ken's personality from Himura Kenshin, surprise surprise (3 3 3 Rorouni Kenshin) and I borrowed the continuous smile from Gin Ichimaru from Bleach, though his features are different, so the smile isn't quite so obviously villainous.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed! Please, read, review, and come back for more for the next episode! Thank you for reading The Fall of Konaha - Shippuuden!

p.s. for those of you that read my other story, By Any Means Necessary, I promise I'll get back to that one as soon as I'm not so thoroughly enthralled with this story, and I think of other plot ideas for that story. In the meantime, just enjoy this story ) Thanks again for reading! Bye guys!


	28. Chapter 28 Time to get serious

Hey guys! I hope it hasn't been too long since i got you a chapter! This one is the last non-action packed one, i swear! A little wrap up as we hit Fall of Konaha - Shippuuden in full swing! I hope you enjoy the humor in this chapter! Enjoy, guys!

Naruto's beating lasted for much longer than necessary. When Tsunade realized she was beating a half-dead and chakra drained ninja, she stopped, but decided to let the fox work it's own magic to heal his wounds. Quite satisfied with his punishment, Tsunade resumed her typical ritual of drinking and gambling till long after sundown. Naruto recuperated, slowly, while the others sat in the tavern of the inn, talking about the past four years.

"Lee, I think you've had enough sake…" Sasuke said as he looked over at the staggering Lee.

"I think…I think…I think you have not had enough sake, Sasuke-kun!" Lee said with a laugh, and tripped over a chair with a yelp.

"Lee, quit it. We don't want to wrack up a bill with no money…"

"Shiko…Shiki…Shikamarooooo…you need to relax, this is a reunion! A time to celebrate! Weeeee!" Lee said as he jumped up onto the bar. "You sure are pretty, could I have this dance?" Lee said as he offered a hand to Chouji. Chouji grumbled loudly.

"It's your own fault for letting your hair grow out so long, Chouji…from his standpoint, you probably do look like a woman." Shikamaru said as he sipped water. Lee began dancing without Chouji's help, and then slipped on a wet rag. He caught himself on his hands, and began walking down the bar on his hands, singing all the while.

"Oh we are fighting…believers…" Lee said as he hopped off the bar, landing on his hands and walking out the door. "The sky is crying!"

"That's rain, Lee…" Sasuke shook his head.

"Oh, of course…Sasuke-kun! Come, we must fight! I have to know how far I have come in my training!"

"I don't think you are in any shape to be fighting, Lee." Sasuke said as he stood up and walked outside. Lee hopped shakily from his hands to his feet.

"Sasuke-kun, fight me!" Lee said with droopy eyes and loose fists.

"Lee, calm down, we should get you to bed." Sasuke reached out to put a hand on Lee's shoulder, so Lee promptly sideswiped Sasuke's arm, ducked low, put his palm on Sasuke's stomach, and flipped him over. Sasuke landed on his feet, and turned on Lee, obviously angry.

"Sasuke-kun…will you fight me or not?"

"I'm getting there…" Sasuke said angrily.

"Ma'am, we are about to have a fight, I suggest that you do not-" Lee stopped as he hiccupped. "Get in the way, this could get very dangerous."

"Lee…it's me…Chouji…" Chouji grumbled angrily.

"I have not seen Chouji-kun in a very long time…You could not possibly be him, he is much rounder…"

"Lee…Are you trying to say I'm fat?"

"No, ma'am, you are certainly not fat, but Chouji-kun was, back when I knew him."

"Lee…" Chouji said angrily and he walked forward menacingly. Sasuke reached for Lee's shoulder from behind, and Lee spun around, knocking his arm aside before placing a firm palm on Sasuke's cheek, tossing him aside. Sasuke regained his footing, and began circling Lee with Chouji. Lee resumed his drunken fighting stance, shifting lightly from foot to foot, with his droopy eyes and loose fists.

"Partial Multi-size technique! Arm!" Chouji shouted, and his right arm grew to a massive size. He thrusted outward, his hand much larger than Lee's entire body. His palm was flat, but his fingers were straight forward, extended. He continued running forward, roaring, and only stopped when his fingers collided with a stone wall. As the dust cleared. Chouji retracted his arm, to reveal no Lee. His eyes were full of shock when he saw the very drunk Lee flip up from the inside of his palm, land on his arm, and run shakily towards him. Sasuke leapt up, kunai drawn, shouting Lee's name. He slashed at head level, but Lee ducked, lifting his leg in a wide arc, catching Sasuke in the stomach, and throwing him over in the direction he had been moving.

"Partial Multi-size Technique! Arm!" Chouji shouted, and his left arm grew to the same size. He then attempted to swat Lee like a bug, slapping his own arm. Lee somehow managed to find himself between Chouji's fingers, and continued his haphazard path up Chouji's arms. Sasuke leapt at Lee once more, this time tackling him around the waist. They landed on the ground in a heap of ninja, and Lee promptly kicked Sasuke away with both feet before returning to his feet.

"Ma'am, I do not know what kind of ninja you are, but this place is getting dangerous! You should go before you get hurt!"

"Lee! I'm not a woman!" Chouji shouted angrily, and Lee once again stood between the two.

"Sasuke-kun, we must do battle, in memory of Gai sensei and all he stood for! The flame of youth must-" Lee was interrupted as he hiccupped again. "Live on!"

"I'm gonna squash you, Lee!" Chouji shouted, and he drew his arms out wide. "Sasuke, stay out of the way!" Sasuke disregarded, running towards Lee as he held his right arm down.

"Chidori!" He shouted, and the ball of lightning came to his hand quickly. Chouji's hands moved together, and Sasuke ran in rapidly. Lee stood in place, swaying back and forth.

"Multi-Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru shouted, and three jet-black tentacles shot out through the light, touching each of the three around their feet. Chouji's arms stopped moving, Lee stopped swaying, and Sasuke stopped running. "That's enough, guys."

--xxx--

Melodic whistling could be heard through Iwagakure as a young blonde girl walked down the street, a bag of groceries in her arms.

"Hmm, Chouji isn't home, I wonder why?" She sighed, and put the bags down on a table in the small, cozy home, which clearly had not been decorated by a man. "Oh well, I'll go check the restaurants. I just wanted to bring him his favorite food since I got back from that long mission for the Tsuchikage, but I bet he's pigging out…Well, that is my Chouji." Her voice was not upset, quite happy in fact, and she headed towards Chouji's favorite barbecue pork restaurant.

"Good morning, Masuta-san! Is Chouji here?"

"Chouji? No, he hasn't been here for several days."

"Hmm, that's odd. You haven't seen him in days?"

"Nope, not since a young blonde man showed up. He had an appetite to give Chouji-san a run for his money!"

"A…young blonde man?"

"Yes, if only I could remember his name…Lee-san was here as well, and they kept going on about training."

"Was his name…Naruto?"

"Yes! That's it, Naruto-san! The little spiky-haired blonde boy! I remember now, clear as day!"

"And you haven't seen him since that day?"

"Nope, actually, they walked out of the restaurant, and I went to give them a coupon, and they suddenly vanished."

"Vanished?" She thought back to roughly four years ago, the day they separated.

_"Lee, Sasuke, Shikamaru, I've got a present for you! Hold onto it, it's going to be very important when I come back!" Naruto giggled. He held out several kunai knives, all with yellow symbols written along the handle._

_"Konaha's Yellow Flash?" Sasuke had asked._

"_That's what they called the Fourth Hokage, before he became the Hokage, right?" Chouji asked._

"_Yeah, it was because of his signature jutsu…The Flying Thunder God technique. There are tales that say that he wiped out a small army of Iwagakure ninja with one use of the technique." Shikamaru said. "The relations between Konaha and Iwagakure never really recovered after that. That was back during the last great shinobi war, though. Where did you get these knives, Naruto?"_

"_Pervy sage gave them to me, when he explained all about what happened when I was born!"_

"_Wait, so that stuff he gave you, when he kept talking about your father…?" Chouji asked._

"_That's right." Naruto grinned._

"_Yes, Chouji. Minato Namikaze, Konaha's Yellow Flash, the Fourth Hokage, was Naruto's father, who saved the village from the dreaded nine-tailed fox by sealing it inside his infant son. He died to do this, however. Those kunai are specially prepared by the Fourth himself. Nobody else ever mastered that jutsu." Shikamaru said as he looked up, as if trying to remember. _

"_Gamabunta was friends with my father, he signed the contract as well, to summon the toads. Gamabunta says he will make sure I know that technique before we are done training." Naruto smiled broadly. "Hold onto those kunai, when I'm done training, you'll understand why."_

"_What exactly does the technique do, Naruto?" Sasuke asked as he stuck the kunai into his belt._

"_Well, I'm not sure, exactly…"_

"_Long-range teleportation." Shikamaru said with a sigh._

"_Teleportation?"_

"_It uses the special seal on the kunai as a sort of "lightning rod". The user focuses his chakra and manifests it with lightning, and when he uses the hand seal, the lightning is drawn to the seal." Shikamaru said._

"_How do you know so much about his jutsu, Shikamaru?" Naruto asked. "You know more about it than me…"_

"_You don't think I spent twelve years in Konaha just playing shogi with Asuma, did you? When he was busy, and I was free, I read."_

"_Alright! Well yeah, hold onto those kunai, guys! I'll be able to find you in a heartbeat if we use those, no matter how far apart you are!"_

"Spiky haired boy…Long-range teleportation…Chouji and Lee are gone…Naruto's training is done!" Ino said happily at first, and then a grave scowl crossed her face. "And that means…" A loud scream could be heard from far away, and birds fled the forest surrounding Iwagakure.

"CHOUJI FORGOT ME!"

--xxx--

Chouji sneezed and shook the table they sat at in the tavern, then rubbed his nose.

"You ok, Chouji?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I just can't help the feeling that I've forgotten something." Chouji scratched his chin and looked up with his eyes closed.

"Maybe Ino can help, ask her." Chouji's jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide. "What's wrong?"

"I forgot Ino…" Chouji said as he had a completely blank look on his face.

"How could you forget her? Wasn't she inside your head?" Temari asked.

"Not anymore…" Chouji's eyes were still wide with horror. "There was an Iwagakure kunoichi…she had become good friends with Ino in the time we spent there."

"How did she become friends with Ino? She was only in your head."

"Well, every once in awhile, I'd take a nap, sort of, and she'd take over, and use a transformation jutsu to look like herself again. That kunoichi, though, she got hurt on a mission, real bad…She was lying on the hospital bed, thinking she was going to die, and her last words were 'If there were a way I could help Ino-san return to her former self, before I died, I would wish it could be done.' She went into a coma shortly after, for months. Ino decided that she would try using her jutsu, to go into her head and wake her up, but it didn't work. She said the girl was simply brain dead. All her vital functions were fine, but mentally, she was dead."

"I still don't get how that works out to you forgetting Ino." Naruto said as he walked from the stairs.

"Well, you see, the family of that girl, when they realized their daughter would never be herself again, they gave her body to Ino. They were best friends, and they couldn't think of anything their daughter would have wanted more, so now Ino uses her body, and a transformation jutsu to look like herself. She had to keep guessing how she would look when she aged, but it has worked out great."

"Oh, I get it." Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Naruto, you're awake." Sasuke said quietly. "You've missed a lot."

"Guys, we have to go get Ino…She'll never forgive me!! We have to go!" Chouji stood up and began to storm out of the room.

"I'll come too, and then use my jutsu to get us back quick."

"Well let's get going, guys…" Shikamaru said with a sigh as he stood up. "What a drag..."

--xxx--

Chouji was nursing a sore head as they returned from Iwagakure. Ino seemed completely content to ignore Chouji at this point, and catch up with the boys, who all seemed content to stare at the apparently 19-year old Ino, who had, through her transformation jutsu, aged herself a few years.

"So, Naruto, your training went well?"

"Um, yeah it went pretty good…" Naruto was still torn between staring at Ino, and fearing the blow she had delivered to Chouji.

"Ino, please, just talk to me…" Chouji whimpered.

"That's great, Naruto! I bet you've gotten really strong!"

"Yeah, I think so! I've learned a bunch of new techniques!"

"Ino, you can't just ignore me for the rest of your life…"

"That's really good to hear, Naruto! It's good to see all you guys! It's been way too long!" Ino suddenly lurched over and hugged Naruto tightly. Chouji's jaw dropped as he watched Ino press her chest into Naruto's cheek. Shikamaru's eyes opened a little as he watched. This earned him a swift smack upside the back of his head from Temari, who appeared none to pleased.

"What?" Shikamaru said as he rubbed his head.

"Umm…Eedno…Ur…um…Ur…ur chedt id im ah fate!" Naruto said.

"She's just doing this to get back at me…Why?" Chouji said as he leaned over and began to cry.

"Women…what a drag, eh Chouji?" Shikamaru was suddenly on the ground, in a daze, from two simultaneous smacks from Temari and Ino. They both smiled with satisfaction and Ino released her hug. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief.

"Naruto…You're dead…" Chouji growled.

"What?! I didn't do anything! She hugged me!" Naruto said as he slowly backed away from the enraged Chouji.

"Oh, Chouji, don't take it out on Naruto, it's your own stupidity that landed you here." Chouji began to cry again. Ino placed her hands on her hips and leaned them to the side a bit, drawing another look from the boys. Temari glared at Shikamaru again, and he quickly averted his eyes.

--xxx--

"Now that everyone is gathered, it's time to get serious." Shikamaru said as he stood in the tavern. The others sat at various tables, listening intently. "Its been four long years, but we haven't been sitting around. Everyone has been training, and we've even managed to gather a significant amount of information on Akatsuki, thanks to Sunahagakure and Kumogakure's resources. We already knew they wanted to gather the tailed beasts, and we know they've already managed to get the Two-tail, the three-tail, and the six-tail. Fortunately, we have two bijuu protected by our own group, Temari, with the one-tail, and Naruto with the nine-tails. We also know that the eight-tails is safe, for now, inside Kumogakure, and is the Raikage's brother. We need to find the remaining Jinchuriki as soon as possible, to protect them from Akatsuki. Once we have them in a safe place, we can work on defeating Akatsuki once and for all. We have yet to discover their location, but the first Hokage divided the tailed beasts up among the great nations. This would be a reliable way to search, but somehow, Kumogakure ended up with three, and Konaha with only one, so they could be anywhere, and they are potentially unaffiliated with any village."

"So how do we find them?" Chouji asked.

"That's the mission. There are three bijuu still out there, and 8 fully fledged Akatsuki members. Fortunately, there are 10 of us, so we have them outnumbered, but do not at any time assume that you have them outgunned. We will divide the three remaining beasts between the groups, forming two groups of three, and one of four. You will be responsible for finding, protecting, and escorting the jinchuriki assigned to you back to this village."

"What about Ibiki?" Naruto said as he stood.

"We received notice one year ago that the underground resistance against Orochimaru had been destroyed, and no survivors were reported."

"So all the people from the Land of Waves? They are all dead?"

"Any that were there at the time of the massacre, yes. I'm sorry Naruto, I know you had friends there."

"It's ok, they new what they were signing up for. I'm sure that they all fought 'till the end, knowing that what they were fighting for a cause greater than any one of them." Naruto paused briefly, then continued. "Greater than any one of us."

"That's right. Now, we still need to recover the four tailed, the five tailed, and the seven tailed beasts. Group one will consists of Chouji, Ino, Temari, and myself. Group two will consists of Naruto, Hinata, and Ken. Group three will consist of Sasuke, Lee, and Kankuro. Any complaints?" Shikamaru finished as he lit a cigarette.

"Shikamaru, you smoke?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I picked up the habit in Sunahagakure…In remembrance of Asuma sensei. I also have his knives." Shikamaru said as he pulled out the two trench knives. "Jiraiya gave them to me, after everyone fled Konaha. Never started using them till I spent a lot of time in Sunaha." Naruto nodded, and nobody voiced a complaint. "Good. Team one, we are responsible for the four-tailed jinchuriki, the Yonbi, in legend said to be a great reptile. Team two, you have the five tail, Gobi, apparently a five tailed dog with all five elements at his disposal. Team three, the seven tail, Shichibi, a badger. Here are some profiles on the beasts with as accurate information as we could come up with." Shikamaru proceeded to hand out pieces of paper to everyone, and they slowly began to read. "These were collected by Jiraiya during the invasion of Konaha. We are guessing that it was the First Hokage who took these notes, as he had the ability to harness the power of the bijuu, but it could have been anyone. You have your missions, you have your groups. Tomorrow, we set out in our search. Don't fail us." Everyone nodded, and went upstairs.

--xxx--

"We have been slacking for four years now. It is time that we continue sealing the bijuu. We only have three. It is time for our goals to be realized, and we will attain all nine of the demons." Pain said as all the members of akatsuki stood in a cave, in person. "You all know your assignments, and you all know your partners. Very little has changed. It took a long time to replace Hidan, but I believe we have done so, and as you know, we have successfully placed a member inside the group from Konaha, our primary enemies, and that will prove invaluable in predicting their movements. I have no doubts that we will be successful this time around. Get going."

"Master, shall I continue attaining funds?" Kakuzu asked as the others moved to leave.

"Yes, but I have instructed Kentogatta to maintain his role as both your teammate, and a friend of the children. He will be capable."

"Pain-sama, please. Ken, my full name is much too formal." Ken smiled as Pain rolled his eyes. "Do not worry, Kakuzu-sama, I will be able to play both rolls quite easily."

"And how is that?"

"Well you see, Kakuzu-sama, my sword, Genkaku, has a number of abilities, one of them being able to create a tangible illusion of myself. This means that neither can use Genkaku's abilities, of course, but it serves our purposes well." Kakuzu didn't make any indication that he understood, nor that he didn't, but simply walked out of the cave.

"Kentogatta, come. We have work to do."

"Yes, Kakuzu-sama. And please, call me Ken. My full name is much too formal." Ken kept his same grin as he followed Kakuzu out.

"Kento…Ken, which of you is the real Ken? The one here, or the one with the children of Konaha?"

"So that I can assure I do not lose Genkaku, the Ken that you are talking to now is Genkaku, not Ken. The real me is with the children."

"I see…It is true, the only thing you can depend on is money."

"I assure you, Kakuzu-sama, Genkaku makes a perfect replica of me. It has adapted all of my habits due to extended time at my side. If I hadn't told you, you would never have known."

"I'm sure. Let's got Kento…Ken."

"Yes, Kakuzu-sama." Ken smiled his same, broad smile as the two walked into the sunlight.

--xxx--

"Lord Orochimaru, it took longer than expected, but you appear to be back at full power from the transition."

"Good. Kabuto, the children's training has continued, correct?"

"Yes, my lord. I saw to it personally."

"Excellent. How are they progressing?"

"They should all be more than a match for any of the Konaha children."

"Excellent. You have done well, Kabuto."

"Thank you, Lord Orochimaru."

"I can never thank Sasori enough for giving you to me. We will have to plan a meeting with him, won't we, Kabuto?"

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru."

Well, what did you guys all think? I hope this answered some questions for you, and got you psyched for the twists and turns to come in the Fall of Konaha - Shippuuden! Please, review! Tell me what you think!


	29. Chapter 29 Akatsuki vs The World!

Did i promise an action packed episode last week? Surely, you are mistaken...OK so I did, and this isn't action packed at all >_

"Shikamaru, I thought you said you wanted to keep an eye on Ken?" Temari asked as Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino and herself walked down a road flanked by vast plains.

"I do, and I will."

"He's not in our group."

"I understand, but Naruto has a special solo mission, that he is being trusted with alone. He loves these, so I knew he'd sign on in a heartbeat."

"What is his mission?"

"He'll be watching Ken like a hawk, and reporting to me daily."

"How will he-" Temari stopped as Shikamaru flipped a kunai around his finger, then suddenly halted it's circular path to catch it by the blade. It was branded with the Fourth's symbol. She nodded and kept walking.

---xxx---

_Shikamaru, I'm not sure why you don't trust Ken, but I won't let you down. If there is something strange going on, I'll figure it out. _Naruto said as he held a fist in front of him, looking slightly down.

"Naruto-san, what are you thinking so hard about?" Ken asked as he smiled. Hinata stood slightly further away from Naruto than Ken did, but Naruto hadn't seemed to notice.

"Oh, nothing, Ken-sama." Naruto smiled. "Hinata, you're shivering, are you cold?"

"No, Naruto-kun, I'm fine." Hinata said as she forcibly stopped shivering.

"Hinata-san, you should take Naruto-san's jacket if you are cold. We wouldn't want you to be sick if we got into battle."

"I'm really ok, Kentogatta-sama. Don't worry about me. Thank you though, Naruto." Ken leaned closer to Naruto's ear.

"I could leave the two of you alone for a moment, if you wish, Naruto-san." He stood back up, speaking aloud. "Oh, and Hinata-san, please, just Ken. My full name is much too formal."

I can't let Ken out of my sight! Shikamaru gave me strict orders…But I really need to talk to Hinata! She's seemed really distant since I got back!

"Naruto-san, Hinata-san." Ken said as he stood up. "Here may be a good place to stop for the night. The sun went down hours ago, and we haven't seen anything at all. I'll go gather some wood for a fire. I'll only be gone for a few minutes." Ken smiled as he waved and walked off the path into the forests around them.

_What do I do?! _Naruto thought quickly. _Got it! _"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted, and his clone appeared. "I'll help you, Ken!" the clone shouted as it ran into the woods.

"Hinata, is something-" Naruto started, until she dove into a tight hug around his chest, her eyes closed, and her head buried into his chest. "Wrong?" Naruto finished, slightly shocked. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, standing in the middle of the road.

"Oh, Naruto…"

"Why have you been acting weird lately, Hinata?"

"Naruto-kun, you used to tell me every time we talked, I was acting weird, back in Konaha." Hinata said as she smiled, still refusing to let go.

"Well, like…strange as in different."

"People were around, Naruto. I was nervous because I hadn't seen you in so long, but now that we're finally alone all that nervousness just flew away."

"Oh, I get it." Naruto smiled as he held her close. Footsteps, displaced leaves, and broken twigs could be heard, and Hinata quickly released the hug as Ken walked back into the clearing, bearing an arm full of logs.

"I'm back, Naruto-san, Hinata-san. I have wood for the fire."

"Thanks, Ken-sama." Naruto said with a broad smile. Hinata was blushing profusely.

"Thank you, Kentogatta-sama."

"Hinata-san, please, Ken. My full name is much too formal." Ken said with his typical smile.

---xxx---

"Sasuke-kun, Kankuro-kun, it says here that the seven-tailed is a master of stealth and deception! It will be incredibly difficult to find him, I think!" Lee said.

"That's probably why I'm assigned to him, Lee. Not much will escape the sharingan."

"I wonder what type of ninja his jinchuriki is!" Lee said as he looked into the mid-day sky. "If he is stealthy, he will not likely be willing to fight in the open! That will make the fight much less enjoyable if I must spend half my time looking for him."

"Lee, we don't want to fight them, we want to protect them. We are going to be fighting akatsuki for him."

"That is correct! Sasuke-kun, you truly are a genius!"

"So I've been told, Lee."

_If you are such a genius, why was Itachi able to kill your entire family?_

"What was that?" Sasuke said as he stopped.

"What was what, Sasuke-kun?"

"I heard a voice…"

"I didn't hear anything." Kankuro said as he put a hand to one of his scrolls.

You're family died because you were too weak…

"There it is again! Be quiet! Sharingan!" Sasuke said, and his eyes changed into the familiar pinwheels. He looked around the marshland they walked through, revealing nothing.

"Sasuke-kun, what do you see?" Lee whispered.

'Lee, shut up!" Sasuke said angrily.

You are an avenger, Sasuke Uchiha. You cannot defeat him, and take your revenge in your current state. You must become stronger, you know what you must do, Sasuke…

"What the hell is that…" Sasuke growled.

We will talk again, Sasuke…

"It's gone…" Sasuke said after a few long minutes.

"What were you worried about?" Kankuro said as he stood up straight.

"There was a voice…I know there was."

"I never heard anything, Sasuke-kun! Are you feeling alright?" Lee promptly placed a hand on Sasuke's forehead, only to have it slapped away.

"I'm not sick, Lee, there was a voice!"

"We didn't hear anything, Sasuke."

"Just forget it." Sasuke said and started walking.

---xxx---

"So, what do you know about our target, Kakuzu-sama?" Ken asked with a smile as the two crossed a river delta. Kakuzu walked on in silence.

"Kakuzu-sama, you have been very quiet. Is something wrong?" Kakuzu remained silent.

"Kakuzu-sama-"

"SHUT UP, KENTOGATTA!" Kakuzu said angrily as he stopped walking. "There is no need to talk constantly, you are wasting your breath."

"You forget, Kakuzu-sama, I am not a real human. I have breath to spare." Ken smiled. "And please, call me Ken, my-"

"SHUT UP. I DON'T CARE IF YOU THINK IT'S TOO FORMAL." Kakuzu turned to face Ken. "Listen to me, Kentogatta, you are to be silent unless you have something pertinent to say. I give you this command as a senior member and the one given the task of babysitting the new member."

"Yes, Kakuzu-sama." Ken said with a broad smile.

"And stop smiling, it irritates me. There is never anything to smile about when you smile."

"Because you make everything a problem, Kakuzu-sama. If you just let everything float away like a cloud, or a wave on the water, you wouldn't be so angry all the time." Ken's smile failed to cease. "I'm not sure if I could stop smiling if I wanted to."

"You aren't a person, Kentogatta, you're a sword casting genjutsu. You could stop smiling anytime you want."

"So you do remember, then." Ken smiled, and Kakuzu sighed as he kept walking. "And please, call me Ken. My full name is much too formal." Ken smiled, Kakuzu scowled, and the two walked on.

---xxx---

"So, Sasori-sama, do you think the new one-tail jinchuriki is beautiful? They say she is the sister of the former container, and the fourth Kazekage."

"Well, Deidara, you know that our conceptions of beauty vary greatly, because your view is wrong."

"Art is something that is created and gone in an instant, Sasori-sama."

"Art is something that passes the test of time beautifully and gracefully, Deidara, and for that reason, I would have to say she will not be beautiful."

"Why is that?"

"All things human must come to an end."

"Does that mean that you too, will come to an end, Sasori-sama? Perhaps your idea of beauty and art is incorrect, if you yourself can't pass that test."

"Are you trying to piss me off, Deidara?"

"Of course not, Sasori-sama." The two continued to walk along a road with a large savannah on either side.

"Well you are, so stop it before I kill you."

"Sasori-sama, you wouldn't kill me just because we disagree on what art is, would you?"

"No, but I _will _kill you if you get arrogant and fuck up this mission like you usually do."

"Taking a few minutes too long shouldn't be considered fucking it up, Sasori-sama."

"I hate to be kept waiting, you know that. I _let _you do these battles on your own because you beg and plead. If you take too long on this one, or let the Jinchuriki get away, I'm going to kill you."

"No need to worry, Sasori-sama. I brought an extra large batch." Deidara smiled as he put a hand on a large blue bag at his hip.

"Just do it quickly. None of your games, Deidara."

"Of course, Sasori-sama."

---xxx---

"Pain-sama, why do you let that Kentogatta use your name? It is so disrespectful."

"What does it hurt, Konan? He is respectful in actions and sufficiently respectful in words. I don't see a problem."

"Very well. Are we headed for Kumogakure first?"

"Yes, I believe the eight-tail will be the hardest of the two we are responsible for. I want to capture them as soon as possible so we can return home."

"Yes, Pain-sama."

---xxx---

Itachi and Kisame walked through a wooded area late into the night as the moon rose overhead.

"Itachi." Kisame said suddenly.

"Yes, Kisame?"

"It is likely that Kentogatta will be with the nine-tailed brat."

"And?"

"He intervened before, what are the odds that he will do so again?"

"If he intervenes, we will have to kill him. The mission is of far greater importance than any member's life."

"I can agree to that." Kisame said with a wicked grin.

---xxx---

"Lord Raikage, the messengers have returned. It will not be long before all the Kage's have gathered." Denrei was kneeling in the Raikage's palace as he sat behind a massive desk.

"Very good, Denrei. Did you take care of the other matter I asked you to?"

"Of course, Raikage-sama. The granddaughter of the first Hokage has been alerted, and plans to attend."

"Excellent. Never before has their been a summit of the Kages…Let Akatsuki try and survive."

"Lord Raikage, there is one other matter to attend to in the same topic."

"Go ahead."

"Iwagakure and Sunagakure are completely on our side with a mission to wipe out akatsuki, but Kirigakure has some reservations. As it turns out, Amegakure has asked to attend the summit as well. While they do not have a Kage, they are one of the more powerful minor villages. An emissary from that village met up with our messenger on his return voyage."

"Very well. Kirigakure will have to be convinced, and Amegakure is welcome. Make sure they arrive as soon as possible. If they request it, dispatch a guard to aid them in the protection of their leaders on their way here. Make sure fully furnished living quarters are available for each Kage, and at least a dozen aids each. See to any other preparations as you see fit, Denrei."

"Yes, Raikage-sama."

"Denrei?"

"Yes, Raikage-sama?"

"Triple security during the day of the summit. Double it as long as any Kage's besides myself are here."

"Yes, Raikage-sama. Anything else?"

"Any word from Sasuke-kun?"

"No, Raikage-sama."

"Very well. You are dismissed, Denrei." Denrei nodded, then left.

OK I hope this was at least good at moving the story along, even if it didnt have fighting. *sigh* Next time guys! Review, please! I hope you enjoyed. See ya soon!


	30. Chapter 30 The Kage's Unite!

Hey guys, took a little long for this one, but the chapter is also pretty long! Finally got some action going on here, so i hope it was worth the wait! I know, its been a long time coming. Thanks for being patient! Enjoy!

"Raikage-sama, all the Kages have assembled in the meeting chamber." Denrei said as he stood in front of the Raikage's desk.

"Very good! I will join them, then! Akatsuki, tremble." He stood up at this news and walked out of the room, Denrei at his heels. They marched down long, meandering corridors until the Raikage found himself at a large ampitheatre, at the center of which was a huge, circular table, capable of seating twenty. He continued his fast pace until he was at an empty seat. He looked around to see his colleagues, slowly identifying them in his thoughts; Closest to his right, two chairs down, was Tsunade, grand daughter of Hashirame Senju, and next to her seated a quiet young woman holding a shivering pig. Next, skipping three chairs was the Tsuchikage, a physically imposing man, wearing the traditional Kage robes with brown trim. His attendant was a much smaller man wearing a tan jonin vest and glasses, who whispered into the Tsuchikage's ear. Skipping two more seats, he did not recognize the face but he saw the familiar mist emblem on the headband of the attendant to the Mizukage. His face was hidden, but his hair was black, and extended beyond the Kage's wide hat. His attendant had bandages covering half of his face, and wore the headband over his forehead. Skipping one seat, the representatives from Amegakure. A man and a woman, and while unclear who was superior and subordinate, the woman sat to the man's right, as did all the Kage's attendants, so the Raikage assumed he was in charge. He stood out the most of any of the leaders due to his bright orange hair, and numerous facial piercings, including seven on each ear as well as a bar through each ear, three on each side of his nose, and finally a spike stud on his bottom lip. The woman had straight black hair and a single stud on her bottom lip. Her eyes had a significant amount of eye shadow on the upper lid, and she did not seem to show much emotion. Skipping one more seat left the Kazekage and his attendant seated directly next to the Raikage. The Kazekage was not a man recognized by the Raikage, but he was easily under thirty. His hair was tucked under the Kage hat, but what was visible was blonde. His eyes were blue and his features were soft, a unique trait when compared to the others here. _He must not have had the job very long. _The Raikage laughed inwardly at his own joke. Denrei sat down to his right, and waited patiently.

"Welcome, friends, to the first-" The Raikage stopped as he heard a door slam. He looked angrily to the side to see who had caused the disturbance. The first to walk in was a slender young man just older than twenty. He had short, gray hair, large circular glasses, and a headband with a musical note on it. Walking in behind him was a taller, thinner man with pale, almost white, skin and long black hair. His eyes were yellow, and he wore a sadistic grin. He was dressed in the traditional Kage garb, trimmed with green. He sat down next to the Tsuchikage's attendant, and his own assistant took the seat next to his master, and the Mizukage.

"This is a private gathering. I don't know who you are, or why you dishonor the title of Kage with your unrecognized village, but you are not welcome here." The Raikage said loudly in his booming voice.

"You don't know who I am?" He smiled as he looked directly across the table at Tsunade and Shizune. "Perhaps she can enlighten you." He said as his glare did not leave her. The Raikage looked to Tsunade to see a truly terrifying appearance. Her gaze was that of pure, unmitigated hatred, a gaze the Raikage hoped he would never be on the wrong end of.

"Orochimaru…" Tsunade barely managed to growl.

"Orochimaru?!" The Raikage said, clearly surprised.

"Orochimaru?" The Mizukage and the leader from Amegakure said simultaneously as they shared a quick glance.

"So it is you who subverted and betrayed my people." The Kazekage said flatly as he looked across the table.

"And your alliance caused the death of the previous Tsuchikage!" The Tsuchikage's attendant said as he stood up. The Tsuchikage motioned him to sit.

"I am the Jadokage, the leader of the successor village to Konaha's legacy."

"You are not welcome here, snake." Tsunade said as she stood, and placed a foot on the table. Shizune jumped up, grabbing onto her arm.

"Lady Tsunade, I had expected a warmer welcome. We haven't seen each other in so long, and we were once so close."

"The last time I saw you I was bashing your skull into the ground…The last time I saw you, you killed Jiraiya!"

"Old conflicts aside, what makes you think you can claim the title of Kage?" The Raikage said as he held a hand towards Tsunade, his gaze remaining on Orochimaru.

"If I recall, the great villages will not recognize a village as one of their own until they have successfully proven their strength, am I correct?" He was answered by silence and baited breath. "I successfully proved my strength by bringing down Konaha, who I believe was widely considered the strongest of any of the great villages." Again, silence. "Not to mention, the loss of Konaha brings this meeting one Kage short, and the Land of Fire without a hidden village. I am merely filling that void. I heard of your little get together, and I hold no love for the Akatsuki organization. I will devote all of the Land of Fire's resources to their destruction. My attendant, Kabuto, is the leading representative of Otagakure, and he has also agreed to use all his resources to destroy Akatsuki. That is your mission, correct? Can you truly deny me?"

"Lord Raikage, if you allow him to stay, and plan on working with him, then I will not!" Tsunade shouted.

"Unfortunately, Lady Tsunade, I invited you in the hope of rekindling the Land of Fire's power. You truly have nothing to bring to this table except what you and your assistant can offer personally. Orochimaru sympathizes with our goals, and has vast resources at his command. I will not turn him down, and I hope you will change your mind." The Raikage said the words with a hint of regret. "Orochimaru, you may stay, but as you know, if any of the great villages does not agree to the motion, you and your village may not claim to be one of the great villages."

"Bring it to a vote, then." Orochimaru said with a sly grin.

"Very well, Orochimaru. All not in favor of allowing a fifth great nation to join us, please raise your hand." Tsunade's hand shot up long before any other's, and Shizune soon followed. The Tsuchikage and his attendant did not raise their hands. The remaining six present, representatives from Amegakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure, all raised their hands. "So it stands. Orochimaru, two of the four great villages have voted against you. You are not a Kage, but you may stay."

"Very well then. By the time Akatsuki is destroyed, your minds will surely have changed."

"NOW unless anyone has something else to bring to the table." The Raikage said as he scanned the room, noting that no one had anything to say, albeit a fuming Tsunade. "Then we will bring this summit to order. Welcome friends, to Kumogakure. Here we orchestrate the downfall of Akatsuki!"

---xxx---

"Naruto-san, are we getting close to the first area?"

"Yeah, we're almost there. This is the place Shikamaru said to start."

"This is a needle in a haystack, how are we supposed to find someone if we don't know their name, their face, where they live, or where they've been?" Hinata asked as they walked down the road through the massive forest.

"Shikamaru's research said that the First Hokage gave the five-tails to the Hidden Mist village, so anywhere in the water country will be our first stop. We've almost arrived."

"Naruto, do you have a plan for searching?"

"I figure we could start with the Mizukage, if anyone would know what happened to the bijuu, that'd be him."

"Excellent plan, Naruto-kun, with one exception." Ken said, his broad smile still plastered across his face.

"What's that?"

"Don't you remember the Raikage talking about a summit of all the Kages? It isn't difficult to consider that the Mizukage might not even be home."

"Well someone must be running the village in the meantime, right?"

"Theoretically, but also there are two more things you should consider."

"What are those?"

"Hinata-san's byakugan makes her practically marked for death in the village, and anyone who remembers my face will alert the guards." Ken said with a smile.

"That's true…couldn't you hide your face, Ken? Hinata can just not use the byakugan, and then it would all be taken care of!"

"I suppose since Shikamaru made you the leader of this mission, it is up to you whether you want to risk it."

"We don't have much of a choice, we've got to start somewhere, and this is the best place! Ken, you'll just have to use a transformation jutsu, and Hinata, don't use your byakugan. Here, we're at the village now." The mist got much denser as they wandered towards the most hidden of the great villages, and a spectral visage walked up out of the mist. Ken quickly changed his face before he got any closer, and they stopped as he held out a hand.

"What is your business in the Hidden Mist village?"

"I'd like to speak with the Mizukage, if that's possible." Naruto spoke out.

"You can make an appointment, follow me." The sentry nearly faded into the mist by the time they responded, and they hurried to not lose their guide. "Follow me closely, ever since a few hostiles entered the land unnoticed, we've made it nearly impossible to get in without knowing the intricate workings of the land. The mist hides dozens of swamps, lakes, and mires. Watch your step closely." The trio nodded, and followed his footsteps exactly. Ken took careful notes on the landscape around his old home, smiling all the way.

"These three want to speak with the Mizukage." The Sentry said as he led them into a building, the first they had seen since they arrived. The two mist shinobi whispered a brief conversation, and the sentry turned around.

"The Mizukage isn't available for some time, unfortunately."

"Then can we talk to some on who would be an assistant Kage, so to speak?" Ken asked cheerfully.

"Give me a moment."

"Thank you." Ken offered a short bow. There was another short conversation between the two mist ninja, and he turned around.

"You may speak with Shuji here. He will answer your questions. When you are ready to leave, he will summon me back here." He gave a short bow, and dissipated into mist.

"Shuji-san, is there any chance we could speak privately?" Hinata said politely.

"Yes, follow me into one of our meeting rooms. I'll try to answer any questions you have."

Shuji led them to a fairly large meeting room with a single door, a single window, and four chairs around a rectangular table. Shuji sat at the head of the table, with his back to the window, facing the door. Ken sat opposite him, with Naruto to his left, and Hinata to his right.

"Now, what can I help you with?"

"We need to know where the five-tailed beast is." Naruto blurted out.

"Naruto-san, please, do not be so blunt." Ken said with a smile.

"Naruto-san? We turned you down four years ago, why should we help you now?"

"We aren't asking for military support, we are looking for the five-tailed jinchuriki. The first hokage gave the five-tails to you, and we just want to know where it is so we can protect it from people who want to use its power for evil."

"I'm sorry, I can't give away secrets of that nature." Shuji looked down at a watch on his wrist, then looked back up.

"Why not?"

"It is forbidden for me to give up military secrets. That is why we have hunter-nin, to protect the secrets of the mist." Shuji looked down at his watch again, then looked back up.

"This is of vital importance." Ken said calmly. "We need to not only protect the jinchuriki, but to prevent the power of the five-tailed demon from falling into the hands of akatsuki." Shuji looked down at his watch once more and then spoke.

"Well you see, I would happily give them the documents." Shuji nodded to Naruto, and then to Hinata." But because they travel with you." Shuji pointed a finger directly at Ken's face. "I wouldn't keep my job very long if I gave those types of papers to a missing nin, would I?" Naruto and Hinata's eyes lit up. Ken simply smiled, and changed his face back to normal.

"Well done, Shuji. That's quite impressive that you saw through my disguise."

"Come on, Kentogatta, this village's signature jutsu is a genjutsu. Everyone here goes through training to catch and defeat genjutsu."

"That's true, I had thought my disguise would have been enough but I guess not. How long ago did you know?"

"When you first walked onto Kirigakure's territory. You don't think we post single men out there as sentries, do you? There was another and he saw right through it. He ran back, and alerted the village. I ordered him to let you in, and then the trap was sprung."

"I see, so you allowed me in, in order to capture me?"

"That is correct, Kentogatta."

"A clever ruse, Shuji, but I won't be caught so easily. You gave it away when you looked at your watch. I've been planning since then."

"Is that so? I don't see how that does you any good, there are a dozen jonin outside right now."

"One who has only one path to victory can never hope to triumph, Shuji."

"What do you mean?"

"Naruto, Hianta, follow my lead." Ken stood up slowly, then thrust a hand out suddenly. A ripple passed through the air, only visible because of the high amount of water in the air, and hit the window. It shattered, and the two children moved to go out.

"They can escape, I don't really care. They are children and of no consequence. I have much bigger fish to fry, Kentogatta."

"You always have been arrogant, Shuji. They didn't let me into the seven ninja swordsmen on missing-nin status alone." Ken put a foot on the table, then disappeared, much to Shuji's bewilderment. Ken appeared above Shuji, in midair, in a running position, one foot positioned on top of Shuji's head. Ken paused briefly in midair to speak. "Oh, and Shuji, please, call me Ken. My full name is much too formal." He pressed off, and Shuji was thrown forward, smashing his head into the table, and Ken leapt out the window.

"They are fleeing out the window!" Shuji shouted towards the door as he rubbed his bruised head.

---xxx---

"Ken, you specialize in sword techniques, right?" Kakuzu asked after a long silence.

"That is correct, Kakuzu-sama."

"How much use will you be to me in a fight without a sword, then?"

"You forget, I am a sword, Kakuzu-sama." He smiled.

"How does the real you fight then, without a sword?"

"Wind-natured chakra."

"Wind-natured chakra…"

"Yes, Kakuzu-sama, my chakra happens to be wind natured."

"I see." Ken just smiled.

---xxx---

The first day of the Kage's summit was over, and the Kages filed out of the room to their quarters. Tsunade stormed out quickly, with Shizune at her heels. The Kage's retained their dignity as they left, and Orochimaru calmly walked out, wearing a grin. Shortly after walking out of the room, he found a firm hand clamped around his throat, and himself forced into a wall.

"Well hello, Lady Tsunade." He said through crushed windpipes.

"How did you survive snake?" Tsunade said angrily.

"It's been so long, I don't even get a hello?"

"I asked you a question." Tsunade said through bared teeth.

"It's the same way Lord Orochimaru has been able to extend his life indefinitely. I transferred his soul to a new body. Technically, he did not survive. You did in fact kill his body."

"I'm about to kill this one, and I won't make the mistake of letting you walk away." Tsunade shot a glare at Kabuto.

"Lady Tsunade." The four Kages stood further down the hallway. The Raikage had spoken. "I trust there aren't any problems." Tsunade let go of Orochimaru's neck.

"Of course not." Tsunade proceeded to stomp down the hallway, Shizune at her heels.

---xxx---

"Sasuke-kun, the information on our target must be incorrect, or incomplete!"

"What do you mean?"

"It says that the seven-tailed beast was given to the sand village by the first hokage. We are friends with the sand village, do you not think they would have told us?"

"Shikamaru mentioned that their records were poor, regarding the seven-tails. As you mentioned the other day, the seven-tails happens to be a master of stealth, and so is the jinchuriki. In short terms, they lost him."

"How are we supposed to find someone that an entire village lost?"

"We only have to find him before akatsuki, and at least we know where to start. They shouldn't have a clue."

"I don't suppose you'd have a problem with handing over that information, would you?" A voice came from the marsh around them, and they all stopped.

"Akatsuki?" Kankuro whispered.

"Sharingan." Sasuke said under his breath.

"Who are you, that this information would be of value to?" Lee said, to no one in particular.

"We own this marsh, and that kind of information would be valuable to anyone, because Akatsuki has a price out on the information. I wouldn't test your luck, we out number you 10 to 1!"

"Well come out then, and we'll give it to you." Sasuke said calmly. This gathered a glance from Lee and Kankuro, then a nod.

"That's more like it." Half a dozen men wearing odd breathing devices on their face crawled out of the muck, soaked, and covered in pond slime. "Now just hand over the documents you have with you, and we won't have to hurt you nice little kids."

"Sure, I have them here." Sasuke said, and one of the men walked closer, an arm outstretched.

"Good boy." The man said with a chuckle. He got within arms reach of Sasuke, and looked at his face. "Kid, whats up with your eyes?" Sasuke reached out with his left hand, grabbing the man's left arm, and pulling it out straight, before dropping his elbow into the man's awkwardly twisting arm. This brought forth a resounding crunch, followed by screams of pain. Sasuke let go of the man's arm, punching the man in the nose. He stumbled backwards, then tripped and fell into the murky waters behind him. Lee grabbed one man's shoulders, pulling him closer before bringing his jaw into contact with his knee. The man flew upward, and Lee leapt into the air, spun around, and kicked him hard, sending him flying into the swamp. Two of the men reacted quickly, and grabbed onto Kankuro, threatening him with kunai.

"Alright! Hand over the documents, or this kid gets it!" One shouted. Kankuro grinned in response. "What are you grinning about?" he said as he held the knife closer to Kankuro's throat.

"Go ahead, cut my throat, see how far it gets you." One man moved his knife to Kankuro's back, and he laughed.

"Whats so funny, you brat?"

"Cut me, and find out."

"Hand over the papers, and we won't kill him!"

"Sorry, we have a mission. Nothing is more important than the success of that mission." Sasuke said calmly.

"Have it your way, kid!" The one with the knife at Kankuro's throat ripped it viciously across, and Kankuro fell limp in their arms. "You should've just given us the information. Now, do we need to ask again?" They heard laughing again, and Kankuro's head began to rotate around his body. His face was certainly not human; it was the face of Karasu, his puppet. It's mouth opened, spewing forth-poisonous gas. The two men leapt away, coughing, and the puppet fell to the ground. Kankuro stood from his cover, just a few feet away, his fingers controlling Karasu expertly as it rushed towards the fleeing men, dozens of blades drawn. As they prepared to defend, it shot several large needles at them, bypassing their defense and distracting them, before moving in and slicing them violently.

"A puppet master?" The original voice said, still hidden.

"He is not the only master here!" Lee shouted as he ran towards the largest group that had begun to emerge. They drew weapons, ready to defend themselves. "I am Rock Lee, pupil of Maito Gai, the last Taijutsu master of Konaha! Dynamic Entry!" Lee shot forth, shattering their defense, sending one flying. "Konaha Whirlwind!" He continued, striking each of them hard in the head, sending them unconscious into the swamp.

"Konaha, eh? News flash kid, your village is rubble!"

"Fire Style! Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Sasuke said, spinning on a dime to where the voice came from. The fire issued forth from his mouth, enveloping a large area in the flames.

"Water Style! Water shield jutsu!" A vast amount of steam spewed from the fireball as it rolled over the target. Steam still pouring from the sphere of water clouded the features, but the leader appeared to be a male of average size. "We're in a swamp, kid, and I specialize in water. You haven't got a hope!"

"That might be true, if I was limited to just fire. My clan has always been as versatile as we have been strong."

"Your clan?" Sasuke said nothing as he ran towards the man, who let his shield drop. He had dark hair and eyes, and his clothes were perfect for hiding in a swamp.

"Raikiri!" Sasuke said as he closed the gap, and the lightning came to his hand.

"Fire and lightning, huh? Well then, aren't you a smart little kid? I get it now, your eyes, and the fireball technique, as well as your obvious natural skill. You're an Uchiha!"

"One of three." Sasuke said, and leapt into the sky, reared back with the Raikiri.

"Water Style! Water Dragon Jutsu!" He shouted, moving through a vast number of hand seals before shooting the dragon-shaped blast of water at Sasuke. It caught him in the stomach, and he flew backwards. The leader's eyes grew wide as he leapt backwards, avoiding Sasuke narrowly as he leapt out from the water below. Sasuke gave him no time to rest, the Raikiri still humming in his hand, and he charged ahead.

"How did you avoid that!?" He shouted.

"I learned a trick from a friend, it's called the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Sasuke said as he rushed across the ground as the other man descended from his leap. His eyes grew wide as he landed, not having enough time to avoid as Sasuke grabbed his shoulder with his free hand, then shoving his right hand into the man's stomach. "And don't call me a little kid." Sasuke pulled his hand free, and walked away. The man fell limp into the water, and the other men ran quickly away. The trio didn't give chase.

---xxx---

"So we are headed to Iwagakure?" Temari asked.

"That's correct. Apparently, a ninja named Roshi is the jinchuriki, but Iwagakure lost track of him after the third great shinobi war. I'd guess he would stay around land he is familiar with." Shikamaru explained.

"Great! It feels like forever since I've had Iwagakure's barbecue pork!" Chouji shouted, licking his lips.

"Chouji, you can't just eat all the time. You should really think about dieting." Ino said with a sigh. Chouji got immediately angry, but calmed down quickly.

"I still don't see how we are supposed to find him, even if we know what country to start in."

"We'll just have to be patient, and think like somebody who probably doesn't want to be found."

"How long until Iwagakure?" Chouji said with his eyes glazed over, licking his lips again.

"Another day or so." Chouji sighed visibly.

"Hey, Shikamaru, what's that?" Ino said as she pointed out into the distance. There appeared to be a figure walking along the road, a great distance away.

"Looks like another traveler. We should ask them if they have any clues for us." Shikamaru said, and Chouji's eyes lit up.

"Maybe they have barbecue pork!" Chouji shouted, and Ino punched him across the back of his head.

"Excuse me, sir?" Shikamaru said, as they got closer to the man. He was dragging a cart behind him, which had a large cloth over it.

"Please, don't call me sir. Makes me feel old." The man stood up straight, letting go of the cart, and smiled. He had vibrant red hair, and a full beard. He wore a helmet that covered his forehead, and extended backwards beyond most of his head. He had armor on, in segmented pieces, covering his chest, upper arms, and upper legs, all tied together by thin leather straps.

"You're from Iwagakure, right?"

"That's what the headband says, right?" He smiled at his own joke.

"Yeah, well we're looking for someone from Iwagakure, but we aren't really sure where to start."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, we are looking for a man named Roshi."

"Roshi, hmm? Let me think…" He stroked his beard and looked upward for several long moments. "Nope never heard of him, sorry kids. I wish you luck in finding him, though. Must be important, for kids from Konaha and Suna to team up." He picked up the cart's handles again, and started walking along the path.

"Why are you leaving Iwagakure?" Chouji asked.

"Unwanted attention." The man said without looking back at them.

"Well that was a dead end." Temari said with a sigh.

"I'm not so sure…" Shikamaru said as he turned around, to see the man moving at a much faster pace. "I thought maybe." Shikamaru drew one of his knives and threw it at the man.

"Shikamaru! What are you doing?!" Ino shouted.

"Shadow Possession jutsu!" Shikamaru shouted, and the shadow shot from his feet, touched the shadow of the knife, and then moved forward to capture the man and his cart. The knife hung in midair, captured by the beam. "Chouji, go ahead of him and block the road. I want to have a longer talk with him." Shikamaru began to walk closer to the man, still holding him in place. He looked the man in the face, who seemed very angry, and still unable to move. "What's the rush, Roshi?" The man's eyes grew wide, and he sighed in defeat.

---xxx---

"What did you think about that one?"

"Not very good at all…"

"What?! I worked on that one for hours!"

"It was still terrible."

"You seem to underestimate my powers!"

"Music isn't a power, Kirabi."

"Hey, it's Jinchuriki-sama."

"Whatever."

"Hey! 'Hours' rhymes with 'powers'. I gotta write that down!" The tall muscular man immediately sat down in the street he walked along, pulled out a pencil and paper.

"That is a terrible rhyme."

"Shut up, Eight-tails."

"He is definitely the Jinchuriki." Konan whispered to Pain as they watched him from a roof above the street.

"Yes. We should take him quickly, as to not cause a scene."

"If I might add, that was a brilliant strategy for getting into the village undetected, Pain."

"Now isn't the time for complements, Konan. We have a job to do."

"Yes, Pain-sama." Pain stood up, and slid down a short rocky cliff, landing on the street, where Kirabi was seated, rhyming to himself.

"That one is also good! I'm a genius!"

"I wouldn't say genius…"

"Excuse me, sir?" Kirabi turned to see an old man, slightly hunched, walking towards him.

"What can I do for you, old timer?"

"Well you see, son, just outside the village, my cart broke a wheel. I need a hand getting it into the village, but all the guards are so concerned with village safety they can't help. You look pretty strong, think you could give me a hand?"

"Sure thing, old man, just as long as you call me Mr. Jinchuriki!" He said with a smile, and the old man nodded.

"Just how far out of the village is it?" Kirabi asked after walking with the old man for nearly twenty minutes, after leaving the village.

"Not much farther. Ah, there's my daughter, just up ahead." The old man pointed down the road to Konan, who was walking closer to them.

"Oh, shoot, she's pretty cute…HEY that rhymed! Hold on a second, old man." He immediately began writing down the rhyme, and the old man smiled.

"Father, is he going to help us?"

"Yes, he's just writing something down."

"That's good. Are you ready?" Kirabi looked up briefly.

"I suppose we should get started?" The old man said.

"What are you talking about, old man?" Kirabi looked at him, confused. Pain revealed himself, and stood up straight next to Konan. "What's this about? You're the leader from Amegakure, right? And you're his assistant, now that I think about it…"

"You see, Mr. Jinchuriki, you're time here is at an end."

"Is that so?"

"You are coming with us."

"Not peacefully, I assure you." Kirabi smiled, and took out his seven swords, holding one in each hand, one in his mouth, one in each elbow, one in his left knee, and one between his neck and his shoulder.

"You're kidding, right? How do you expect to fight like that?"

"Come at me and see."

"Konan, would you please?"

"Of course, Pain-sama. Paper Style Dancing." She said calmly, and her body turned into thousands of sheets of paper, fluttering in the wind. "Paper Spear!" her voice came from the wind, and the sheets turned into a massive spear, shooting towards Kirabi. As the spear came within arms reach, he spun and moved rapidly, slashing the spear, repeatedly chopping the paper weapon into parts as it flew closer. Thhe sheets scattered in the air around him, then formed into hundreds of shuriken as Konan spoke. "Paper Shuriken!" and the shuriken flew towards Kirabi, and he deflected them in a similar fashion. "Paper Senbon!" She shouted, and formed thousands of senbon. "Deflect this!" and the senbon rocketed towards him. He just grinned as they bounced off his skin.

"You don't seem to…." Kirabi had a thoughtful look on his face, then continued. "comprehend, you see you can't get past th'end." He paused again, letting the rhyme sink in. "of my swords, I'm Mr. Jinchuriki, my swords move about in a mad flu-rry. Hmm, that one needs work, I think."

"They all need work."

"Oh shush, Eight-one."

"Paper Hammer!" Konan's voice said, and the paper all moved together to form a massive mallet, which came swinging down on Kirabi. He dropped most of his swords, lifting his arms up, to catch the mallet, then tossed is aside.

"You just don't get it, don't understand my power, you fools will soon realize, right now is the hour…I told you that was a good rhyme! Sorry, where was I? Oh, right." Kirabi smiled, picked up his swords, and then ran at Pain. Pain didn't move or change his expression. Konan's paper rushed to defend her master, taking on her normal shape, and attempted to deflect Kirabi as he spun rapidly, his seven swords acting as dozens as they slashed. Pain grabbed Konan's shoulder, throwing her to the side, then forced one hand towards Kirabi, throwing him backwards. He rolled, losing many of his swords, then came to his feet. Pain rotated his hand, then pulled it in close to himself, which brought Kirabi flying towards him. As Kirabi flew uncontrollably towards him, Pain reared back, punching him once in the face.

Some time later, Pain and Konan stood in a crater. Kirabi lay unconscious in the center, and Pain brushed the dust off of his Akatsuki robes. "Konan, let's go."

"You don't plan to attend the second day of the summit? I understood that the representative from Amegakure wished to make his village on of the hidden villages, following his participation in the hunt for Akatsuki." The sixth Kazekage stood in front of the other Kages, as well as Orochimaru and Tsunade.

"Konan, take the eight-tails away from here. I will hold them in the meantime."

"Yes, Pain-sama."

"That cannot be allowed! You two will not be allowed to escape!" The Raikage ran forward, as did the Tsuchikage. Orochimaru stayed motionless, as did Tsunade, and the Mizukage. Pain watched them carefully, then gazed around carefully, having never seen the Kazekage move, but no longer able to find him. Konan shifted into the thousands of sheets of paper again, wrapping Kirabi like a mummy, and then using the paper to tie him to two large birds she had created, then flew off. The Tsuchikage dropped his right hand into the earth, tearing it up as he ran.

"Earth Style! Boulder Creation!" He shouted, and as he ripped his hand from the earth, a sphere of earth, roughly fifteen feet across, was held over his head, which he hurled at Konan with all his might. Pain raised one hand, and then brought it down quickly, which yanked the boulder from the sky. He brought both hands back, after a few second pause, then hurled the boulder at the Tsuchikage, who reared a fist back, shattering the boulder on impact, and kept running through the rubble.

"Death Pit: Swallowing Technique!" A massive pit formed in the ground under Konan as she flew away, the earth rapidly changing into sand. A long whip of sand shot from the center of the pit, where the Kazekage stood, wrapping around Kirabi's body, pulling him downward, and Konan's birds with him. They flapped furiously, but couldn't overpower the Kazekage. They were slowly dragged down into the pit, and as soon as she was close to the earth, massive amounts of sand shot up to envelop the two birds.

"Konan, you must get the Jinchuriki out of here!"

"You can't hope to defeat all of us!" The Raikage shouted as he barreled towards Pain.

"Pain-sama, I am trying!" The papers unfolded as the sand crashed around her, allowing her to avoid the attack. They reformed into a single giant bird, grabbing Kirabi in her claws, then dashing away from the Kazekage's death trap. The whip of sand shot out at Konan this time, and she avoided the same way, separating into thousands of pieces, then reforming before Kirabi fell, flying away again. The Raikage put his hands together, then transformed into a bolt of lightning, shooting up to Kirabi instantly. He reached out a hand, shouting.

"My brother!" Pain turned quickly, shooting out one hand, then dragging it down, and the Raikage fell with him. Pain quickly sidestepped a punch from the Tsuchikage, leaping aside.

"Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Lord Mizukage! You must help us!" The Tsuchikage shouted out.

"You three are all Kages, if you cannot defeat these two you do not deserve the title." The Mizukage said as he crossed his arms across his chest. Orochimaru grinned and stood there, so Tsunade scowled and ran forward. The Raikage continued to futilely tried to reach his brother, and Konan successfully evaded his grasp, flying higher into the sky.

"Kirabi!" The Raikage roared. He turned angrily on Pain, charging at him. "She will return for you, surely, and we know you need all of your members to perform the ritual!" The Raikage, the Tsuchikage, The Kazekage, and Tsunade slowly closed in on Pain, who stood in the center.

"Shinra Tensei!" Pain shouted, and he was lifted high into the air as he moved his hands. The others leapt at him, but he moved too quickly. Orochimaru suddenly extended his neck to hundreds of times its normal length, his fangs extended. Pain arced his back, as Orochimaru shot past him. He moved his hands again, forcing himself downward. He landed nimbly, then began to walk away. The Kages began to give chase, and as he walked, he waved a single hand. The earth between him and his pursuers rose up, forming a vast Cliffside. Pain kept walking, and Konan landed next to him, still shaped as a bird. Pain hopped onto the bird's back, and they began to fly away. The cliff sunk back into the earth as the Tsuchikage forced it downward, and they stopped chasing, seeing them far into the distance. The Raikage fell to his knees and hung his head in defeat.

"Kirabi…"

Now that you've finished reading, I need a favor to ask of you. For those of you that remember the chapters shortly before the time skip, i did the chapters by group, which let you get a lot of info on one group. This time, I've done it in bits and peaces, so you see everybody each chapter. If you have a preference between the two, send it to me in a review, or add it to the review you already had! If i get a decent amount of response for either method, I'll use that. Thanks for reading, and thank you for taking time to review! See you guys soon!


	31. Chapter 31 War on Amegakure!

I know I know...It's been a month and a half. Sorry guys. I've been...um...busy. No that's not true, I just forgot all about writing for awhile, what with thanksgiving break, and christmas now coming up, and World of Warcraft...Anyway! I'm back, I'm writing, and I hope you guys are ready for the latest chapter of The Fall of Konaha!

"Naruto-san, Hinata-san, get out of the village. I will get the documents for you. The Mizukage is away, so I'll be fine." Ken smiled as he spoke, and before the pair could turn around, he was gone. They looked at each other, shrugged, and continued jumping from building to building. No one gave chase to the pair, even as they dashed past them, headed for where Ken was.

They waited about a mile outside the village, anxiously awaiting Ken's return. Night had long since fallen, and combining that with the perpetual mist surrounding the village, visibility was at a low. At some point later into the night, Ken strolled smiling into their hastily made camp, bearing a handful of papers. His clothing was untarnished, and he didn't appear tired at all.

"Ken! You're back! Are those the papers?" Naruto shouted as he stood quickly.

"Yes, Naruto-san. These should tell us everything we need to know." He smiled as he sat down cross-legged near the fire they had built.

"Ken, did you have to fight?" Hinata said, her voice shaky.

"Not too much, don't worry." He smiled widely at her, the flickering flames playing on his facial features.

"Ken, I bet a bunch of them attacked you and you kicked their asses, right?!" Naruto asked, excited at the thought of the Mist shinobi getting what he had long ago decided was a much needed beating.

"Nope, no blood on my sword. Look." He pulled his sword out to reveal not a spot of blood.

"It's good that you didn't have to kill anyone, Ken."

"I always try to avoid doing so." Ken smiled as they continued to walk down the road. Ken took a brief look over his shoulder as they walked, recalling the scene as he left the Hidden Mist Village, shinobi strewn about moaning and screaming in agony, all wondering how they had failed to hit him even once. Ken smiled at the thought, as it was in fact very difficult to hit someone who had mastered short-range teleportation, as well as an after image composed of the village's mist.

---xxx---

"Pain-sama, do you want me to summon the others?" Konan's voice came from the wind as Pain sat atop the giant, paper bird, which held Kirabi clutched in its talons.

"No, give them some time. Wait until we get back to one of the bases."

"As you wish, Pain-sama." Konan could be heard sighing.

"What is it, Konan?"

"At the summit, you must have recalled Tsunade mentioning that Orochimaru had killed Jiraiya."

"Yes, what of it? I have long since surpassed our old tutor, it is likely I would have had to kill him myself anyway."

"I suppose."

"You feel regret for his death, don't you?"

"No Pain-sama. I feel nothing at all."

"Good. Let's keep it that way. Angels should be impassive if they are to serve their god properly."

---xxx---

"Sasuke-kun, we have been searching the Wind Country for days, and still have found no sign of the seven-tails. Perhaps we should head to Sunagakure and see if they have found any new information since we last got word from them!"

"Normally I'd disagree, but we're running out of options. We can't just wander the desert looking for it if we can't even guarantee its here…"

"I agree with Lee, we should head back to sand and see if anything new has come up." Kankuro spoke, and Sasuke nodded. "But you're the leader, Sasuke, it's up to you."

"Lead us to the village, Kankuro." Kankuro nodded and turned partially around, heading off in a seemingly random direction.

---xxx---

"Kentogatta. Get up, they've changed direction." Kakuzu said roughly as Ken climbed to his feet.

"Hmm? Where do you think they are going?" He wore his same smile as he walked within sight of the children. They were miles away, but they stood on a cliff, and the sky was clear.

"How should I know? But we're going to let them guide us to the seven tails.I don't know my way around this damn desert."

"Very well, Kakuzu-sama. By the way-"

"I know, I know. Your full name is too formal." Kakuzu sighed as he walked towards the cliff face. "Let's go." He stepped off the edge and began to slide precariously down the cliff side.

"As you wish, Kakuzu-sama." He smiled as they slid down the hill, giving careful chase to Sasuke's group.

---xxx---

"The summit is over." The Raikage walked hastily through the streets of Kumogakure, angrily barking orders at shinobi who were reporting in.

"We've had only one day of meetings, however. Nothing was decided upon." The Tsuchikage mentioned. The Kages and their attendants, as well as the two Sanin were following at his heels.

"That is irrelevant at this point. All of Kumogakure's available resources will be dispatched to find and destroy Akatsuki, starting immediately."

"How will you find them? We lost track of them." The Kazekage asked.

"He was the leader of Amegakure. We will simply go to his home. From this moment on, Kumogakure is at war with Amegakure!" The Raikage shouted. Denrei gulped, nodded, and disappeared.

"I did not come here to start a war." The Mizukage said.

"Then you may leave. It matters little to me, and I understand fully that the pretenses of our being here have changed drastically."

"Lord Raikage, you have Sunagakure's support."

"And Iwagakure's."

"I have already agreed to offer all my resources to Akatsuki's downfall." Orochimaru said with a grin.

"Lord Raikage, we will be ready to move out in force come morning." Denrei reappeared at the Raikage's side, walking briskly to keep up.

"Excellent! Send an advance patrol out as soon as possible! We cannot give them any time to prepare, and Kirabi must be saved!"

---xxx---

"Itachi, what makes you think they'll ever find the five tails? The nine-tails is leading them. He is obviously strong, but he's never been bright. With his leadership, they have no hope."

"Don't underestimate him, Kisame. This is the best way for us to capture both of our targets in one swift movement."

"This wouldn't be a problem if we'd captured him at Kumogakure."

"Kentogatta was under orders, just as we were. It doesn't matter, the nine-tails can't be extracted before the other eight." Itachi trailed off as he kept walking.

"Your thoughts are on your brother."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"The nine-tails nearly killed both of us in the mist village four years ago. He's much stronger now. I might never see Sasuke again."

"This is unlike you, Itachi. Sharing your feelings, never mind expressing them."

"Kisame."

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

---xxx---

"Yes, I'm Roshi, the four tailed Jinchuriki." The red-haired man said with a sigh, as he stood paralyzed by Shikamaru's shadow jutsu.

"Why did you try to run away from us?" Shikamaru asked as he released his hold on the man.

"How should I know you're not part of Akatsuki?"

"So you're aware of the situation?"

"Very."

"Then you're willing to help us?"

"Bah! Hardly, why risk my hide for a bunch of shinobi I've never met?"

"Because your help might mean the difference between Iwagakure's life or death." Roshi looked at Shikamaru, his expression very serious and stern.

"Fine kid, you've got yourself a Jinchuriki."

"I believe you mean we've got ourselves a Jinchuriki." Two men dressed in the Akatsuki robes stood nearby to the group, previously unnoticed. The speaker was Zetsu, his head half pale white, the other half pitch black, with an enormous venus-fly-trap like plant growing from his shoulders. The man next to him was nondescript except for his orange mask with a swirling designed around his right eye, the only spot left open on the mask.

"Akatsuki…" Roshi said as he spat on the ground.

"The tall one is Zetsu, Akatsuki's hunter-nin. The other one I haven't got any information on. He must be new."

"Can Tobi fight them, Master? Tobi promises to be a good boy and leave the four-tails alive."

"No, Tobi. We didn't come here to fight. We came here to watch. Though I'm surprised they haven't arrived yet. He always says he hates to be kept waiting, you would think he offer others the same courtesy."

"Don't run your mouth, Zetsu, I'm here on time. You were early." Sasori and Deidara walked calmly up to the gathering.

"Two Jinchuriki in one battle. This is quite an ambitious plan, Zetsu." Deidara grinned and stuck his hand in one of his pouches.

"Do you think you two can handle all five?"

"We already told you that we'd be fine. Now get out of the way. I don't want to wait any longer."

"They're all yours, Sasori."

"Sasori?" Ino whispered to Shikamaru.

"Sasori of the red sand, the puppet master. The blonde guy is Deidara, former terrorist for hire."

"What are we dealing with, Shikamaru?" Chouji said loudly.

"Assuming those two stay true to what Zetsu said, a puppet master and an explosives expert."

"Been awhile since I've been in a good fight. Should warm up the blood pretty good before I go thrash the rest of Akatsuki for threatening Iwagakure." Roshi began to rotate his shoulder, stretching out.

"Master Sasori, which two would you like?" Deidara smiled as he glanced down at his hand.

"Two? So you're implying that you want three?"

"I don't think that's too much to ask."

"If you keep me waiting too long…"

"Don't worry, I'll end up helping you with yours before too long anyway."

"Don't get cocky, Deidara."

"No promises, Master Sasori."

"Don't split up guys, don't let them separate us."

"Alright, let's see what Akatsuki is made of!" Roshi shouted as he ran towards Sasori, a fist reared back. Zetsu appeared next to Roshi, punched him hard in the throat, then reappeared some distance away, Roshi over his shoulder.

"I'd have thought the old man would've lasted longer. Let's go Tobi."

"Yes, Zetsu. Tobi is a good boy."

"Roshi!" Ino shouted, and Shikamaru held a hand out to her.

"We've got our own problems, we'll get them later. It can't be helped."

"Master Sasori, which one is the Jinchuriki again? There are two blonde girls."

"The sand village girl. She was the Kazekage."

"I want to fight her then." Deidara smiled. He pulled his hand out of his pouch and grinned. He maneuvered his fingers to reveal four small birds in his hands. He casually tossed one at the group, who leapt backwards and up just in time to avoid the explosion.

"Stick together! We're stronger together than apart!" Shikamaru shouted. Deidara grinned and tossed another explosive straight at them, which Temari blasted away with her giant fan. The explosion caused a strong gust to course across everyone present, and Deidara grinned. He couldn't see the children, but he tossed an explosive aiming below where they had been. When the dust settled from the second explosion, the children were falling to the ground, right where Deidara had planted the bomb, and he smiled.

"Art is a blast." Chouji looked at Deidara's eyes, and followed their line of sight to see the bomb below them.

"Sorry, Shikamaru! I don't have a choice! Multi-size technique!" Chouji's body expanded greatly, and in the close proximity the others had been, they were thrown to the side as he grew. Deidara scowled and placed his hand back in his bag. Temari was awkwardly spinning in midair but managed to swing her fan sideways, knocking Chouji out of the path of the explosive below him. Chouji landed near Shikamaru, while Temari and Ino landed next to each other, the two groups some fifty feet apart.

"Good work, Deidara, now get to work on the Jinchuriki and don't kill her."

"Of course, Master Sasori."

"And above all else…"

"Don't keep you waiting. I know."

"Guys, get back together, quickly!" Shikamaru shouted and he ran towards the girls. Sasori quickly intercepted, moving between them, his giant tail reaching out from under his robes, poised threateningly.

"I wouldn't if I were you. Those girls are going to be blown to pieces. You might want to run while you still can."

"Not likely." Shikamaru said, drawing his trench knives.

"Multi-size technique! Human Boulder!" Chouji shouted, leaping over Shikamaru's head as he took on the shape of the boulder. "Barrroooommm!!!" Chouji shouted, and Sasori looked up slightly.

"Good work, Chouji…" Shikamaru said under his breath. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" He formed the hand sign and his shadow shot out, touching the one Chouji was casting, then shooting off towards Sasori, distracted as he was by Chouji's attack. His black beam of chakra touched the one created by Sasori, and he smiled. "Gotcha!" Sasori, apparently having not heard Shikamaru, side stepped and watched as Chouji rolled on by.

"What? How?" Shikamaru said.

"Smart kid like you, why can't you figure it out for yourself?" Sasori said as he began to move towards Shikamaru as Chouji turned quickly on the sand, coming for another pass. Shikamaru released the jutsu and evaded Sasori's tail.

_Why didn't it work? He wasn't even affected…_ Shikamaru thought to himself as he continued to avoid the tail's jabs. _I get it, how could I be so stupid? That tail, Sasori the __**puppet**__ master? I didn't catch Sasori, I caught a puppet that's protecting him! Sasori's shadow must be inside the puppet!_ Shikamaru smiled as he avoided another stab, which brought the tail deep into the sand.

"Barrrooooom!" Chouji shouted, and Sasori brought his tail around to bat him side. "Multi-size Technique! Arms!" Chouji shouted as he stopped spinning, and he willingly took the slap from the metallic tail in his ribs as he wrapped his arms around it. "Try getting Shikamaru now!" Chouji grinned. Sasori struggled with the tail, but to no reward. Chouji held strong to his tail, his stance firm and planted. "Now, let's see just how well my training went!" Chouji shouted, then roared with the strain as he lifted Sasori off the ground, arcing him over his head and bringing him slamming to the ground.

"Hmm, so the girl from sand is the jinchuriki, right? Right, that's what Master Sasori said. So I get to kill the other one." Deidara smiled and moved his hand into his pouch.

"Ino, whenever he wants to attack he puts his hand in that pouch! If we take it from him, he's finished."

"Got it."

"Alright, let's do it!" Temari put her fan on her back, and swept both hands in an upward motion. Deidara cocked his head to the side, confused, but then his eyes perked as he turned around to see a huge wall of sand rushing towards him.

"So this is the power of the one-tails." Deidara grinned as Temari swept her hands downward. A small explosion could be heard, and Deidara, riding a giant white clay bird, flew out unharmed out of the hole he had blown in the sand. "They mentioned she might be able to control sand. How predictable. I wonder what the other one can do." He glanced down at his hand, which was still chewing on the clay.

"I can't do much if he's way up there, Temari. My technique is only useful at close range."

"Right, so I'll maneuver him in close." Temari ran off towards Deidara, who was some fifty feet in the air. She swung her fan up towards him, sending slicing blades of air rushing towards him. His giant clay bird swayed lazily side to side, avoiding the attacks. "Why don't you come fight me down here?" Temari shouted out.

"I like to watch art from a distance." Deidara smiled as he pulled his hand out of his bag. "You know, the one-tails is quite pretty, too bad she has to live to be extracted, otherwise I could kill her here and she could be a work of art. The other will have to do." Temari continued to launch volley after volley of razor sharp blasts of wind, but at the distance he was at, they didn't do any good. He continued to float around the battlefield, smiling.

"I can't just sit here and let her do all the work! I've got to help!" Ino said angrily, looking around for someway to help Temari.

Sasori quickly righted himself, and tore his tail from Chouji's grip. "So, you're pretty strong, brat, but are you fast as well?" Sasori's tail shot out like a rocket, straight for Chouji's chest, and off balance as he was, it seemed he had no hope of avoiding.

"CHOUJI!" Shikamaru shouted as he ran towards his friend.

"Earth Style! Rock Hard Defense!" Chouji shouted, and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. The sharp tail hit his arms, and forced him to slide across the sand, but did not penetrate his skin as it took on a light brown sheen. Chouji moved his hands around to clasp onto the tail again, and yanked hard. Sasori came with the tail, flying awkwardly towards Chouji, who reared a fist back. "Earth Style! Iron Fist!" Chouji shouted, and his fist shined brightly as it collided with Sasori's face, and the puppet shattered as Chouji roared, his fist tearing through the soft shell, relatively speaking of course.

"Chouji! Way to go!" Shikamaru shouted.

"You managed to destroy Hiruko…Impressive, for a child." As the dust cleared, the soft faced, red-haired boy known as Sasori looked on passively, his eyes half-closed. He wore the akatsuki robes, and his head was tilt slightly to the side. His voice was drastically different, much softer than the hoarse and deep voice he used when he was inside Hiruko.

"Man, I kinda figured he was a puppet, but I thought that might have finished him!"

"Don't worry Chouji, at this point its no problem. You take it easy." Shikamaru smiled as he formed his hand sign. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" He shouted, and the black jet shot out at Sasori, who was fairly close. The shadow wrapped around his feet, and Shikamaru sighed in relief.

"I suppose there isn't any reason for you to expect this, is there?" Sasori smiled calmly and he walked towards Shikamaru without any trouble. Shikamaru's eyes went wide as he walked right up to him. He slowly lifted one arm, reaching out towards Shikamaru, who took a few steps back, slowly. "You probably realize now that you haven't got any hope of winning."

Temari continued to pester Deidara fruitlessly as she went after him with wind and sand combinations, blasting him with razor sharp, gale force winds, and shooting out lightning fast whips of sand, but he was so far away that he casually dodged them, smiling all the while. He would drop a bomb here and there, but they didn't get anywhere near Temari, as she hit them with her precisely aimed wind, causing them to explode far from their target. Ino looked around, examining the situation.

_What would Shikamaru do? He'd analyze the situation figure out his strengths and weaknesses. His clay explodes, and he needs his bag, which probably holds the clay. He obviously doesn't like fighting up close, is that because he's weak physically or because he doesn't want to get caught in his own crossfire? _Ino ran after Temari as she chased him down, angrily swiping her fan and waving her hands, attacking him relentlessly. _He's only fighting one person, maybe I could distract him? _Ino carefully watched him avoid Temari's attacks and caught up to Temari. Just as one of Deidara's bombs exploded halfway between the girls and their target Ino shouted over the din, barely loud enough for Temari to hear.

"Temari, try to attack his right side! Make him dodge to the left and circle back around! Follow my lead, I've got an idea!" Temari just nodded, and began focusing on his right side. Predictably, he avoided to the left, and slowly began to circle around. Ino waited for one of his boms to go off to break the line of sight before dropping to the ground and partially burying herself. Her clothes, all from Iwagakure, blended in well. _Now I just wait for him to come back around. _

"You two are quite the pair. One is physically strong, and good at causing distractions. The other is smart, a genius maybe? Hmm, we'll have to see how smart you are. I'd like to show you my favorite puppet, Shikamaru? Was that what the round one said your name was?"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Shikamaru smiled.

"What's that?"

"Call my friend fat."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Chouji roared as he put his hands together and closed his eyes.

"I said you were round. Large? Fat? Obese? Do any of those work better for you?" His eyes and tone gave the impression that he couldn't care less, his eyes still half closed, and his voice monotone.

"Don't…ever…call me….FAT! Multi-size Technique!"

"The same old trick? He must be the dumb one." As Sasori spoke, Chouji roared in anger as he grew to be thirty feet tall.

"Let's see how much insulting you'll do when you're dead!" Chouji shouted, his voice deep and booming. He removed a coiled chain from his belt and held it in front of him with both hands. "Let's see how you handle the Akimichi's weapon fighting style!"

"That chain grew with him." Shikamaru said in disbelief. _You've really outdone yourself, Chouji. Choso would be proud._

"You're bigger, and slower. Good luck." Chouji pulled the middle of the chain taught and smiled.

"If Dad could only see me now. Earth Style! Metal manipulation!" Chouji shouted, and spikes began to sprout from the chain, all along it's length. Two hoops appeared in the links, big enough for Chouji's hands, each a third of the length from the end. He gripped one in front of him, and the other over his head as he began to spin the chain violently over his head. Loose sand and dirt that lay on the rocky ground was picked up with the tornado strength winds, and Chouji roared as he brought his arm forward, shooting the chain like a missile at Sasori, the end being a fearsome spear tip.

"Interesting." Sasori said, his voice still calm. Sand and earth exploded as the chain hit it's target, an enormous cloud forming.

Ino watched Deidara carefully as he flew towards her, and she waited for him to get to the right spot. _Here goes nothing! _She leapt from the sand and threw a single kunai with an explosive tag on it at Deidara.

"Did you think something so simple would work, girl?" Deidara smiled as he reacted to the whistling kunai, ducking just out it's path.

"You're the explosives expert. You should know better! Getting barely out of the way is never enough." Deidara's grin changed to wide eyes and a slack jaw as he saw the tag. Ino focused her chakra and exploded the tag. Bits of clay could be seen flying everywhere as the explosion destroyed Deidara's bird.

Yes, I know, I'm an evil bastard. Making you guys wait a month and a half for the chapter, and then hitting you with a cliff hanger. Hahaha...Well hopefully this will give me insentive to write the next chapter. I'm going to start working on my other one too guys, that one is even more out of date, so if you read both, you're in for a treat! Thanks for reading guys. Read, review, enjoy, and share! Thanks!


	32. Chapter 32 Art is a Blast!

Hopefully this wasn't too bad of a wait, and for those that read my other story, I'm still waiting for inspiration as to how to continue, better than a forced chapter I figure. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the continued battle between Shikamaru's group and Sasori/Deidara. Read, review, and most importantly, ENJOY!

"Chouji! You got him! Great job!" Shikamaru cheered his friend on, proud as he'd ever been.

"In the world of the shinobi, boy, it is never that simple." The dust began to clear, and Shikamaru could clearly see two bodies in the center of the crater, both hiding behind a massive iron pillar the second had created and supported. Chouji's chain was buried into the iron, and Shikamaru, who was on the opposite side, could see the tip of his weapon protruding from the iron, only inches from threatening the second body. Shikamaru's eyes went wide as he realized it wasn't over. "I get to show you my favorite puppet now, Shikamaru. This is the Third Kazekage." His eyes remained as they were as he came to a sudden realization. First, this was the Kazekage all of Sunakagure had been looking for during the past twenty years, and second, he couldn't help his friend. His technique worked against clones and living things, but not puppets. Chouji would have to beat Sasori by himself. "Sandaime, please show them your Iron Sand." Without any visible response, the iron wall between the fighters began to fade and filter away, and then crawled up Chouji's chain, focusing around its joints.

"Chouji! Drop the chain! That sand is coming towards you!"

"You've entirely missed the purpose of the Iron Sand. In this case, it will render his weapon useless by clutching to the chain through magnetism."

"Magnetism, eh? Well have I got a surprise for you! Earth Style! Metal Manipulation!" Chouji shouted, his voice a booming roar, and the sand fell from his chain. He yanked it back towards himself with a grin, spinning it to one side, then alternating it to spin on the other side.

"Hmm, interesting…He removed the magnetic properties of the metal."

Chouji, this one is all up to you…Good luck old friend, you've certainly become a shinobi that Konaha could be proud of.

Deidara fell from the sky, clay raining down around him, his Akatsuki jacket gone.

"Hmm that girl isn't so dull after all. That was a close one, but oh well, I've still got my clay, this won't take long." He smiled as he fell, looking around.

_Now's my chance! _Ino thought as she leapt off the ground, aiming for Deidara. She clasped her hands together, forming the seal for her signature jutsu, releasing it only when she was face to face with the explosives expert. "This fight is over!" She shouted as the chakra passed the few inches from her hands to his chest and his eyes grew wide. Deidara reached out his arms as Ino's body went limp, and they landed on the ground. Deidara put her down softly. Temari ran over, and Deidara just smiled at her.

"You got him?"

"I got him." Deidara smiled again. Deidara ran over towards Sasori, a confidant grin on his face.

"Sasori! It's over! We've got your partner!" Temari shouted at the puppet master. She walked just behind Deidara, and Sasori turned, his eyes still half closed, giving him a passive appearance. His puppet turned towards her as well.

"Oh? You've managed to capture Deidara then?"

"You could say that." Deidara said with a smile.

"Then I suppose I'll deal with all of you at once."

"Don't try it, we'll kill your partner if you attack! Surrender peacefully, Sasori!"

Sasori tilted his head to the side. "What makes you think that is a disturbing development to me?" With a blank stare, his puppet forced his arm forward, from which thousands of arms shot forward in a wave towards Deidara and Temari. Temari waved a hand in front of her and a wall of sand appeared. She then immediately created a dome around herself. Deidara had no such way to protect himself, and merely raised his arms between himself and the attack. The dust cleared to reveal Deidara pinned against Temari's wall of sand, bleeding from his mouth, arms from the puppet piercing his body in several places. The hands had pushed all the way through the wall, and nearly threatened Temari's sphere.

"Earth Style! Metal Manipulation!" Chouji shouted as his chain rapidly formed into an immense sword, which he brought slashing down on the mass of tangled arms, cutting them off midway between the puppet and the targets.

"He attacked…his own teammate…" Deidara coughed blood, and hung his head. "These Akatsuki guys…they're monsters…" He slumped as Ino's mind left his head. The wall of sand fell as Temari released it, and the puppet arms dropped to the ground. Deidara looked helplessly up into the sky as he lay on the ground dying.

"Master…Sasori…"

"You see, Deidara, a work of art is something that passes the test of time gracefully and beautifully. Your death proves that your art is not art after all."

"You are…wrong, Master Sasori…You see…art is a blast." Deidara laughed weakly.

"Deidara…Don't be a fool. You've failed."

"What is he talking about?" Temari shouted, looking over to Shikamaru.

"Don't tell me…you're afraid, Master Sasori? You're almost entirely puppet…I didn't think you could get afraid…but then again, your heart…perhaps that's where fear comes from?" Deidara smiled as he coughed.

"Temari! Get away from him! He's an explosives expert, whatever it is; it's going to be big! GET OUT OF HERE!" Shikamaru shouted as he turned and ran away from the two Akatsuki. Temari nodded and bolted towards Ino's limp body. She scooped her up without stopping and kept running, straight away from Deidara.

"Multi-size technique! Human Boulder!" Chouji shouted, and he transformed into an enormous ball, rolling away from Deidara at tremendous speed.

"Deidara…don't make me kill you."

"You already did, Master Sasori…now I'm doing the same thing to you."

"Don't be arrogant. You're just wasting my time."

"This conversation isn't a waste of time, Master Sasori. I needed some time…Farewell, Master Sasori…" He coughed once more and closed his eyes. "Just remember…Art is a blast."

"Deidara!" Sasori shouted, and his puppet moved to defend him.

"Master Sasori…" Deidara smiled, and with a cacophonous roar, the rocky wasteland shook violently. Shikamaru looked over his shoulder to see the enormous mushroom cloud, and the shockwave pulsed across the ground, throwing Shikamaru to the ground, sending him tumbling head over heels. Chouji's human boulder technique was broken, as was his multisize technique, and he was sent tumbling as well as he returned to a normal shape and size. Temari had taken to the air, flying with Ino, who had yet to wake up, on her giant fan. She too saw the enormous mushroom cloud, and rose higher into the air to avoid the incoming shockwave.

---xxx---

"So what are you saying, Baki?" Kankuro said as he stood next to his former squad leader.

"I'm saying that we found the seven tailed beast since Temari stepped down."

"Where is it?!" Lee said excitedly.

"We need to know as quickly as possible." Sasuke said flatly.

"He's in Kumogakure."

"Kumogakure? Why would he be there?" Sasuke asked.

"He's attending the summit of the Kages."

"So he's the new…" Kankuro began.

"Yes." Baki sighed, and Sasuke stood quickly.

"We have a long way to go. Let's get out of here." Shikamaru said as he ran out of the room, the others at his heels.

---xxx---

"Naruto-san, do you have any idea where we're going?" Ken asked with a smile.

"Of course I do, I'm following this map to the place where they imprisoned the Jinchuriki when he went insane!"

"Um…Naruto-kun…You've, uh…" Hinata stuttered, not wanting to upset him.

"What is it?" He turned to face them, his face perplexed.

"You've got the map upside down, Naruto-san." Ken smiled and took the map, righted it, and put it back into Naruto's hands.

"Oh…well, I knew that!" Naruto pointed a hand down the road, in the way they'd come after perusing the map briefly. "That way!"

"As you wish, Naruto-san."

"Oh, Naruto…"

---xxx---

"You still believe following them is the best course of action, Itachi?"

"They've got the map."

"We could steal the map in the fight, after capturing the nine-tails."

"They're smart, they'll destroy it before we can take it."

"Clearly, the jinchuriki is an idiot. You can see that better than I can."

"The girl is a Hyuga, she is definitely intelligent."

"Ken would stop them. He might even have memorized the directions the map gives, or copied them."

"Don't give Ken too much credit. He's a happy-go-lucky fool."

"You don't much trust anyone, do you Itachi?"

"No."

---xxx---

Shikamaru climbed to his feet in a daze, his vision blurred by a roaring headache and the dust flying everywhere. He could see Chouji lying on the ground, not far away, slowly climbing to his feet. He nodded slowly, then turned to look around. The place where Deidara had been was still clouded by smoke, dust, and sand, so there was no hope of seeing the two girls from here, not with the naked eye. _One thing to be said for a smokescreen…Makes for a lot of shadows. _"Shadow Sight Jutsu!" Shikamaru said as he closed his eyes, forming the rat hand seal in front of his face. He could see the landscape now, clear as day, except void of color. Color wasn't important, what was important was surveying the field, getting a grip on the situation. He fought through the concussion he suspected he had, and scanned across the landscape. _No sigh of Deidara, not a surprise…Temari and Ino are alive, but not moving…But they're alive. Wait, what's that? _He focused further, zooming his sight in on a curious gray blob his sight couldn't penetrate. As he got closer, he saw it was a sphere of the iron sand Sasori had spoken of. The Third Kazekage was plastered against the sphere, the puppet broken and destroyed. _No! Sasori's alive! _"CHOUJI! GET UP!" Shikamaru dropped the jutsu and rushed to his friend, who was just now standing.

"What's wrong, Shikamaru?"

"Sasori…He's still alive. His puppet is destroyed, but he's alive."

"Without his puppet, he's useless though, so we won, right?"

"No. He can summon those puppets from scrolls, he likely has more."

"You're right…We aren't out of this yet. What about Ino? Is she ok?"

"She's fine, Chouji, Temari too, they're unconscious but we need to get to them."

"Right! Let's go!" Chouji took off running, and Shikamaru followed. They passed the sand sphere, which Shikamaru never let leave his sight. Chouji dropped to his knees at Ino's side, cradling her body. "Ino…I'm sorry I couldn't protect you!"

"Chouji it's ok. She's alive, she'll be fine. We have a bigger concern right now."

"Yeah, Sasori."

"We have to take him down, once and for all. If we do it quick, we might be able to catch Roshi."

"Right. Let's do this, Shikamaru!" The two boys moved cautiously towards the grey sphere, both knowing that the fight was long from over.

"Chouji, just like we started out. Distract him and I'll grab him, then you finish him off, it'll all be over."

"You got it boss." They stopped moving as the sphere began to deteriorate and fall to the ground slowly. Sasori's face was visible, then the rest of his body. His eyes no longer had his normal, half-aware glance; they were completely open, giving him a manic expression.

"Well done, you both survived."

"But your puppet didn't, Sasori." Shikamaru noted, pointing at the Third Kazekage.

"That's correct, I couldn't make the iron sand strong enough to protect both of us, so he was sacrificed."

"It's over, Sasori!" Chouji shouted. "You've already used your ace in the hole! You said yourself he was your favorite puppet, and now he's useless."

"Normally, you would be correct. My favorite and strongest puppet was destroyed, as well as Hiruko. However, that doesn't mean I've lost already."

"Shikamaru, is he serious? Is he bluffing?"

"No, Chouji. He's not bluffing. He's Akatsuki, and an S Rank Missing-nin. He doesn't need to bluff. He's got something else, I'm just not sure what."

"Well I'm not giving him a chance to use it! Multi-size Technique!" Chouji shouted, and he grew to be some twenty feet tall. "Sasori, you're finished!" He roared as he pulled the chain off his hip and spun it rapidly as he charged forward.

"Chouji, don't! We don't know what ability he has left! It could be dangerous!"

"Too late Shikamaru, he has to be destroyed now!"

_Of course you're right, Chouji, but at what cost?_ He sighed and ran forward, getting within range of the Puppet Master.

"Sasori! It's over!" Chouji roared as he hurled his chain straight for Sasori, who nimbly sidestepped, and left the tip buried in the sand.

"You are correct, Chouji, but not for me. It's been a very long time since I had to use myself." Chouji ripped the chain out of the ground, spun it again, and hurled it at Sasori again, who leapt upward, then landed on the chain. He ran straight along the chain towards Chouji, leaping upward when the distance was close, and then holding his arms out straight forward, revealing a small opening in each palm. "You are very good with metal, but let's see how your iron defense stands up to fire, hmm?" From both hands, fire began to spew towards Chouji, who brought both arms up to defend.

"Earth Style, Rock Hard Defense!" Chouji shouted, and his body took on a brown hue. "Only an idiot has one kind of defense! Your fire would have to reach hundreds of thousands of degrees to melt this rock!" Sasori landed on the chain, which was falling slowly to the earth, and aimed his hands at the ground, this time spewing water at an immense rate at the ground around Chouji's feet, creating a swampy mire on the ground Chouji was standing on.

"Chouji, quick! That stuffs like quicksand!" Shikamaru shouted, and Chouji tried to move his rock-stiffened joints, but not very quickly, and he began to sink into the ground.

"Shikamaru, I can't move fast enough! If I drop my defense, he'll burn me!"

I've got to think quick, or Chouji's done for! How can I stop Sasori? This body looks like it's a puppet too, and I'm too injured to use Dad's secret technique…Think Shikamaru, this is the one thing your good at! Chouji reached down for his chain, and whirled it above his head, then threw it at Sasori again, who dodged easily. The chain shot past him, and sank deeply into a large mound of rock nearby, and Chouji started pulling himself out, the rock holding his weight, surprisingly. Sasori's expression remained the same and he stood by as Chouji pulled himself out of the swampy ground. Shikamaru closed his eyes and put his hands together in the rat symbol and whispered to himself. "Shadowstep Jutsu." His body dispersed, and crept into the shadows around the rocky ground, traveling quickly to Chouji's shadow, then to Sasori's. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Shikamaru shouted as he appeared behind Sasori, and formed the hand sign once more, the jet-black stream only having to travel a few inches to reach Sasori's back.

"You really don't get this at all, do you boy?" Shikamaru's eyes went wide. "I'm more puppet than human, so as long as I can think and control chakra, your jutsu has no effect on me. I'm sick of you wasting my time!" Sasori shouted, and two propellers sprouted from his back. Shikamaru leapt backwards as they each sprouted several blades and began spinning.

"Chouji…This really is all up to you…" Shikamaru panted heavily as he watched his friend stand calmly, staring their opponent down.

"You're defensive jutsu are impressive, boy, I'll give you that, but I have a jutsu I used to take down an entire country, and I highly doubt you're as strong as an entire nation." Sasori grinned maniacally and pulled a scroll from his back. "Red Secret Technique! Performance of One Hundred Puppets!" The scroll unraveled rapidly around him, and in puffs of smoke, puppets appeared all around the barren landscape. They stood with their heads hung and shoulders bowed, not moving, until the right part of Sasori's chest opened, revealing a brightly shining ball of chakra, from which one hundred fine threads shot out to each puppet. Each puppet snapped to life as the thread connected with it, and they stood at attention, each dressed in red robes, wielding a wide variety of weapons amongst them. Chouji looked around slowly, the puppets having not yet surrounded him.

"I hate wasting time, but considering that you destroyed my two favorite puppets, I can't simply offer you surrender. Both of you have to die."

"I was thinking something similar." Chouji said with a smile as he stood up straight and closed his eyes, before shrinking back down to his normal size.

Chouji really has gotten a lot stronger, and smarter…He knows he's too big of a target against one hundred enemies, so he'll reduce their ability to swarm him, making it a more skill dependant battle.

"Alright Sasori, bring it on. Let's see what your hundred puppets can do!"

So, what do you think? No, don't just answer the question in your head, let me know, let other readers know! Submit a reply, please! It's the feedback that really makes it worth writing. Thanks for your continued support!


	33. Chapter 33 The Way of a Leaf Shinobi

See, when you get a bit of inspiration, writing quickly is no problem. Unfortunately, when a good cliffhanger comes along, you just gotta stop there. Kind of a short chapter, but anyway, here it is, Fall of Konaha Chapter 33! Enjoy!

"Alright Sasori, bring it on. Let's see what your hundred puppets can do." Chouji held his chain over his head and closed his eyes again. "Metal Manipulation Jutsu!" He cried, and the chain got thinner and longer, becoming a steel staff, which he held defensively in front of him. Sasori raised a single arm, and the hundred spread out in a wide arc, forming a circle around Chouji before charging in.

He stood perfectly still as they rushed forward, weapons reared back to strike before shouting and exploding into motion. Chouji spun the staff low, and in a complete circle, aiming to take them out at the knees, and Sasori's puppets responded by leaping over the staff, still bearing in on him, so he relinquished his grip on the staff and clapped his hands together in front of his chest. "Earth Style! Concussive Shockwave Jutsu!" The ground at his feet cracked and splintered as a crater roughly two feet deep was suddenly imprinted into the landscape. A nearly invisible half-sphere of energy shot out from him in every direction, and hit the nearby puppets as solid as any wall, throwing them back into their counterparts, who shrugged off the blows and kept coming. Chouji snatched the staff out of the air before it hit the ground, his arms shoulder width apart, spinning partly to his right and bringing his left hand around, striking a puppet across the head. He quickly reversed the stave's momentum, spinning it in a full circle before striking another to his left. This left his right hand forward across his body, and his left arm tucked to his side, and he pushed his left hand forward violently, rotating the staff vertically to strike one puppet on the underside of its jaw before altering his stance to deliver a powerful blow to the puppets chest, the staff cradled in front of him, his stance deep and wide. He took a moment of reprieve, breathing deeply as the puppets stopped, circling warily. He gazed carefully around him, fully aware that they had surrounded him, before glaring at Sasori.

"I hope you're not getting tired."

"If there's anything the Earth Country's ninja value, it's endurance." Chouji said with a grim smile, still breathing heavily. "I can do this all day."

"Imagine that, so can I. The difference is that doing this doesn't exert any of my energy, so even if you can manage to stave off my assault all day, you have to sleep eventually. I don't."

"The I'll have to finish it before the end of the day." Chouji spoke with a determination Shikamaru didn't get to hear from his friend often, and he just nodded along, fully aware that his friend was fighting an S class shinobi alone and holding his own.

Chouji, you can't hold out all day. You've got to find a way to beat him!

"You leaf shinobi, you place a high value on your friends, your comrades…Isn't that right?"

"Of course. I'd gladly die for any of my friends!"

"That's what I was hoping for." Half of Sasori's puppets immediately defected from the battle, rushing at Shikamaru, who stood in the open, staring them down with wide eyes.

"Shikamaru!" Chouji roared as he turned to run to his friend's aid, and the remaining puppets rushed to intercept, forming a solid wall between Chouji and Shikamaru.

"Chouji, take down Sasori! You've got a clear shot!" Shikamaru shouted as he took off running.

"You know me better than that, Shikamaru!" Chouji shouted as he leveled his staff with the puppet army.

"CHOUJI! AS THE LEADER OF THIS SQUAD I'M ORDERING YOU TO TAKE DOWN SASORI WHILE YOU HAVE A CHANCE!" Shikamaru roared as he continued running, barely keeping ahead of the pursuing puppets. Chouji stopped running and stared at his friend, then nodded solemnly. He turned his back on Shikamaru and the puppets, and ran to Sasori, bellowing as he went.

"Even if you do beat me, Zetsu has already taken the four-tails, and there are members of Akatsuki stronger than me. Your cause is doomed to fail!"

"We've dealt with those odds before!" Chouji lashed out violently with his staff, and Sasori ducked. The puppets closed in behind him, but he went after Sasori relentlessly, swiping again and again at the maniacal puppet master, who nimbly avoided attack after attack. The puppets caught up, but Chouji paid no heed, and one slashed him across the back. He grunted through the pain and gave Sasori a moment to regain his footing when he turned slightly to strike the closest puppet with his staff. "Metal Manipulation!" He shouted, and the staff tripled in length, impaling half a dozen puppets as it grew. He used his brute strength to sweep it wide, crashing them into their companions, then reversing the direction to catch the others. He reared back with the staff as if to strike, but let the tip hit the ground behind him, and pushed off the ground, his path a wide arc in the air over Sasori's head, who watched him calmly. He allowed the staff to return to it's normal size as he soared just over Sasori's head, before rearing back once more and hurling the staff down at Sasori, who sidestepped and avoided it easily, watching it crash into the ground, shaking even after it stopped burying into the ground. Chouji hit the ground on both feet and one hand, skidding, and charged forward at Sasori again, who's gaze remained calm, if not slightly manic. As he ran, he dug both hands into the ground, earth gathering as he ran, like a child making a snowman. He threw one, and then the other, and Sasori again sidestepped easily, but then looked around to see no opponent.

Shikamaru continued running, changing direction randomly, wondering how he was going to escape fifty enemies with his only weapons being two knives, and his only jutsu being useless against lifeless enemies controlled by another being. He smiled as something came to him, and changed direction, aiming directly away from Sasori.

Chouji leapt from the earth, dirt clods and rocks spraying around him as Sasori barely turned around in time to see his assailant's fist collide with his jaw. He spun violently in the air, like a rifled bullet, flying twenty feet before landing. Chouji stood still, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling with the laborious effort of his battle.

Sasori stood up, seemingly uninjured other than a heavy scuff on his jaw, glaring at Chouji. "How long can you keep that up, boy?"

"Exactly as long as you're alive!" Chouji shouted, running forward again, ripping his staff from the earth as he passed. He reared back and hurled the staff like a spear at Sasori before clasping his hands together. "Earth Style! Grasping Hands of the Tsuchikage!" As Sasori prepared to dodge, two hands erupted from the earth at his feet, holding him firmly where he was, and he looked at the incoming projectile nonchalantly. It collided with his head, pieces of the puppet shattering and flying everywhere from the brutal impact of the solid steel pole. Chouji smiled and dropped to his knees, breathing heavily, his shirt stained with blood and sweat. "I got him Shikamaru, I got him…"

Shikamaru stopped running as the puppets stood in place, not moving any further.

I knew there was a range limit. Go get him, Chouji!

---xxx---

"This is it, guys! We finally arrived at the prison where they placed the five tailed Jinchuriki!" Naruto stood in front of a mausoleum like entrance, his arms crossed in front of his chest proudly. White mist swirled around the area, as was typical in the Water Nation, and the other two soon came into view.

"Good job, Naruto-kun."

"Well done, Naruto-san. Let's go find our Jinchuriki."

"It was placed here because it went insane. We should probably proceed with caution." Hinata spoke softly, seeming to have nearly returned to her old self, as if Tsunade's training had beaten the quiet back into her.

"Hinata is right, Naruto-san. We shouldn't just run in, Jinchuriki are very dangerous and powerful, especially when they have no control over themselves. You should know that better than anyone." Naruto nodded, but then looked at Ken.

"How did you know…?"

"Shikamaru mentioned it at the meeting." He smiled and walked towards the door. Naruto nodded and shrugged, then followed. They walked closed to the door, stone, without any visible openings. There were five seals, one above the door, and two on each side, each a different elemental symbol.

"It looks like it's sealed." Hinata said quietly. "Ken, are you any good at dispelling seals?"

"I'm afraid I'm not." He smiled.

"Stand back, and take cover." Naruto said as a clone appeared at his side, and began swirling energy in his right palm.

"Naruto, I thought you didn't need a clone to use the Rasengan?" Hinata said as she and Ken retreated a safe distance.

"Not the normal one." He grinned confidently as the sphere grew to easily five times the size of the normal Rasengan. "Great Ball Rasengan!" He shouted, and rushed forward, driving the sphere into the door. It spun helplessly for a few moments, and then the seal shattered, an immense amount of energy pulsing outward, before the door shattered, sending shards of stone in all directions. Naruto's clone was thrown aside and destroyed, and stone shards struck the tree Hinata and Ken were hiding behind, burying themselves deeply into its trunk. Naruto was protected by the Rasengan, which dissolved the fragile stone shards before dissipating. Naruto stood up straight, turned to the other two, and grinned. "No problem."

---xxx---

"There you go Itachi, let's make our move. The door is opened."

"No. There's no guarantee that the five tails is in there. Let's follow them after they've gone in."

"Very well then."

---xxx---

"Kumogakure is a long way away, Sasuke." Kankuro commented as they left the Sand Village.

"That's why we're running the whole way. I assume you can keep up?" Sasuke said as they ran across the sand.

"Keep up? Yes, run as long as you two, no. I'm not one of you freaks that trains night and day."

"Perhaps you should change that, Kankuro!" Lee shouted exuberantly, his breathing indicating the pace was something of a light jog.

"Stop talking, it wastes your breath. We have a long way to go."

---xxx---

"They're running away from the village." Ken said with a smile.

"I grasped that when I saw them running in a direction that was not towards the village." Kakuzu said angrily.

"You should relax, Kakuzu-sama. We can travel faster than they can. Maybe we should take a break for a day or two so you can gather your thoughts."

"I don't need to relax, I need you to stop stating the obvious. It doesn't help and it's annoying. Let's go."

"Of course, Kakuzu-sama."

---xxx---

"Shikamaru! I got him!" Chouji said as he knelt in the sand, then fell backwards, breathing heavily.

"That's great, Chouji, but I don't think it's over! These puppets are still up!" Shikamaru shouted back over the distance.

"I told you once before. In the world of the shinobi, it is never that simple." One of the puppets Chouji had thought he destroyed stood up and glared at Chouji.

"You're kidding…" Chouji sighed and pulled himself to his feet.

"You're friend is smart enough to evade my puppets, so there's no use in chasing him anymore. When I'm done with you, I'll finish him too. I do hate to waste people's time."

"That's not good…the puppets are going back for Chouji. This can't be good." Shikamaru ran after them, trying to locate his friend."

"This guy just doesn't quit does he?" Chouji sighed and dropped into a fighting stance.

"No, but you can. Feel free, and I'll make it quick. I don't want to waste anyone's time."

"I'll never quit! That's not the way of a Leaf Shinobi!"

---xxx---

I hope you enjoyed it! Please, read, review! Makes it all worthwhile. Tell me what you think!


	34. Chapter 34 Chouji vs Sasori! Finale!

Hey guys! Found myself with a few spare minutes the other day and I ended up reading all the reviews I've gotten since I started posting this fic, what seems like so long ago now, and the things you guys have said in the past and the support you've shown me urged me to write another chapter! I sat down and wrote this chapter at probably 6am this morning and couldn't stop until it was done! I really hope it's something you can enjoy! Welcome to the Resolution of Ino/Shika/Cho/Tem vs. Sasori, or as it's really become, Chouji vs. Sasori! Read, and review, I can't stress that enough, tell me what you liked, what you disliked, things you'd like to see, I LOVE reading your reviews guys, and it really makes writing all that more rewarding, and it spurs me to write more frequently! I've already started the next chapter but please review and you'll get another chapter sooooon! ENJOY!

_This guy…is something else. No matter how many times I beat him, it seams like he's got another ace in the hole. I've still got one more of my own but…If it doesn't work this is over. Shikamaru, what should I do?_

"This is over boy. You can barely stand, nevermind fight. Just give up."

"Didn't I already tell you? Leaf shinobi never give up."

"Your leaf village no longer exists, I believe Orochimaru saw to that."

"That doesn't matter, not even a little bit. Ask any of us that avoided the disaster…We're all still leaf shinobi, to the death!"

"Then you cease being a leaf shinobi today!" Sasori's army of puppets flooded the broken battlefield, rushing towards Chouji, who stood in the open, his shoulders sagging, breathing heavily.

_I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I? Against a hundred enemies, with nothing left but the technique I worked with the Tsuchikage to learn…He taught me that himself. It's time I put it to the test in a real fight._

"Alright Sasori! This is over! Either you die today, or I cease being a leaf shinobi! Those are the only two outcomes here!" Chouji squared his hips and shoulders, closing his eyes and clasping his hands together in front of him, palm to palm.

"I don't have any plans on dying today, child." Sasori's manic expression was still unfaltering, and his puppets rushed towards Chouji. As the puppets closed in, various weapons drawn back to strike, an stone block rose up around Chouji, removing him from view. The puppets circled, striking the stone in a frenzy, to no effect but to scratch the stone. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes, watching the stony block from the distance. He felt a pulse of chakra travel across the barren landscape, originating from his friend.

_Chouji, what are you up to? What kind of jutsu is this?_

"Another defensive technique? Maybe I'll just kill your friend while you're in there!"

A booming voice roared out from the stone, as it rose into the air, an enormous, earthen body under it. "You won't lay a hand on Shikamaru, or any of my friends! Earth Style! Earth Titan Jutsu!" The rock that had encompassed Chouji had become the head of the enormous jutsu. It towered over the field, nearly one hundred feet tall. It's feet and hands were huge, more like clubs than anything else, it's limbs somewhat long and spindly, while it's chest was broad and thick. Two eyes opened in the "head", glowing blue and seemingly lifeless.

"So you've made yourself a bigger target, I thought you already established that – won't – work?" Sasori waved a hand and the puppets continued attacking. Their weapons clinked and bounced off the creature's body, not even leaving a mark.

"I'm a bigger target, sure, but you'll need something a lot stronger than swords and axes to break through! And I've got something special in store with this technique!" The voice was Chouji's, barely, but enormously load and deep, booming across the area. It held one hand towards Sasori, palm facing him, then suddenly clasped his fingers tight to his hand, making a fist. Earth broke all around Sasori as the earth sought to swallow him, though he narrowly jumped out of the way. The enormous body leaned over and punched the earth, and the ground beneath Sasori burst, an enormous rocky hill sprouting from under his feet, knocking him into the air. He reached out with his enormous reach, and punched Sasori, who was floating in the air, connecting with a fist that dwarfed Sasori's body, sending him rocketing into the distance. It stomped an enormous foot, which knocked all the puppets over, but also a cliff rose from the earth, halting Sasori's flight as he made a crater in the cliffside.

"Well then, it's a good thing this body of mine can't feel pain, hmm?" Sasori pulled himself out of the cliff, then looked at the two propeller-like blades on his back, both crushed and uselessly warped. He slid down the cliffside, landing with a soft sound. Chouji's monolithic creation began to take slow steps, trudging across the landscape, it's arms swinging with each step, before it began to speed up, it's stride tremendously long, leaving craters in it's wake with each step. The puppets leaped up, grabbing a hold of the titan, though it paid them no heed. They continued to slash randomly as Chouji charged forward at an incredible speed that defied logic for such an enormous body. It leaned over, rearing back with it's right fist, before swinging in a mighty arc, breaking the ground that it tore through, creating a trench, before it swung up to catch Sasori, pushing him into the cliffside he stood against before the wall shattered apart at the impact of the enormous fist. Shikamaru watched in awe as the Puppet Master was pummeled into oblivion. Chouji raised the fists as Sasori flew, pounding him down into the earth. Sasori lay there, not moving, and Chouji lifted an enormous foot, stepping down on him. He twisted his heel angrily before picking it up to investigate his handy work. The puppet body was hopelessly destroyed by the multiple impacts, the face twisted and gnarled.

"Shikamaru!" The voice called out, about to speak again before gasping. One of the many puppets had climbed up to be holding onto Chouji's face, his armor-like skin having prevented him from even noticing it's ascent. It's head appeared in Chouji's view, and he saw the manic eyes behind the red hood. It reared back and stabbed with it's sword, into the eye of the titan, the only place without the armor like stone protecting it. Chouji roared in pain and the titan fell to rubble, Sasori with it. Shikamaru looked over to the crushed puppet, wondering how it was possible for him to have moved so quickly, replaced himself with another puppet, and changed his outfit. Sasori picked himself up, walking over to Chouji's unmoving body.

"You've wasted enough of my time." He reared back with the sword once more, his expression not angry, not gleeful at final victory, simply the same manic eyes and closed mouth.

"I'd like to say the same to you, but -" Shikamaru stood behind Sasori, one of his trench knives in his hand, his arm fully extended, the black metal dagger having pierced the left side of the chest. For the first time in the fight, Sasori began to bleed from the wound. His arm was paralyzed, unable to complete the strike. "The amount of time spent to defeat someone like you isn't something I'm going to mourn over losing." Shikamaru twisted the blade once, forced it in further, then twisted it back and jerked it out at a cruel angle. His knife, and right hand, were covered in blood, and Sasori fell forward onto Chouji. Shikamaru kicked the puppet master over off of his friend, and watched as the puppets all fell to the ground, dismembered.

"Chouji…You ok?"

"Yeah…I'm fine." Chouji looked up through a blood-covered face, an almost stupid grin on his face. "Sorry I couldn't…take him myself."

"You kidding Chouji? We're a team, this is what we do. If you can keep them busy long enough for me to figure out a strategy, we'll win every time. You're a much stronger ninja than I'll ever be, Chouji."

"Thanks, Shikamaru…You've always been my best friend, even if it just gets you in trouble. If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep now. I'm pretty tired."

"Take all the rest you need, Chouji, you've earned it tenfold. As soon as the girls wake up, we'll get you to-" Shikamaru stopped and smiled as he saw that Chouji was already asleep. He took a seat next to his friend, watching over him.

---xxx---

"So are you really worried about not seeing your brother ever again?" Kisame asked as he and Itachi walked through the mist, watching the mausoleum style entrance as Naruto, Hinata, and Ken walked in.

"No."

"You said you were before." Kisame bared his teeth in a grin.

"That was then, this is now. Focus on the mission, Kisame."

"Of course, Itachi."

Just now leaving eyesight, but far out of earshot, the three walked into the mist-covered prison, stepping over the rubble from Naruto's attack. Naruto led, with Hinata in the middle, and Ken behind, as they went down a single-file staircase.

"Hinata, I need your byakugan."

"Yes, Naruto-kun." She touched her hands together as her face and eyes showed the telltale signs of the jutsu. She scanned over the area, noting several seals in the prison, as well as some faint sources of chakra. "There are five more seals as we progress through the prison, and at each one there are a pair of faint sources of chakra, probably guardians of some sort. There is one source of enormous chakra far below us, maybe fifty feet down."

"Alright, I bet that's the five-tails. Anything else?" Naruto looked over his shoulder.

She leaned forward to speak quietly. "Naruto, I can feel two large presences on the surface, near the entrance. They're familiar." He lowered his voice.

"Akatsuki?"

"Yes, most likely, Naruto-kun."

"We have a few options then, Naruto-san." Ken smiled as he moved closer. "We can fight them here, getting the jump on them, or we can wait until they attack us. If we are ready for it, they won't get the element of surprise. We might even manage to get the five-tails on our side if they wait long enough."

"They've stopped moving."

"I wonder why?" Kisame asked. The two stood at the entrance, Itachi using his sharingan to spy on them.

"They've noticed us."

"So what do we do?"

"I can sense five seals, each with guardians. Let them destroy them; we'll just follow behind. Don't make a move until they've freed the five-tails."

"And Ken?"

"If he tries to stop us from taking the nine-tails again, kill him." Kisame nodded and stepped into the misty prison.

---xxx---

"We're almost at Kumogakure! Kankuro, are you good to keep going?" Sasuke shouted behind him, the three still running at full tilt.

"Yes, I…think I'm good to go." Kankuro spoke between deep breaths, hardly used to the physical exertion the other two were. Lee seemed to be enjoying himself, while Sasuke maintained his stoic demeanor. "How much…further?"

"A few hours more at most."

"Sasuke, we have been running almost a whole day! Perhaps we should let Kankuro rest?" Lee said.

"No, we can't. If the seven-tails is the new Kazekage, he's got a giant target over his head. We need to get to him quickly and keep him safe."

"Don't worry…guys, I can…keep up." Kankuro panted heavily and kept going.

"They're running to Kumogakure." Kakuzo spoke as he and Ken, or Ken's sword posing as Ken, ran through the increasingly rocky terrain after the young trio.

"Which means the seven-tails must be there."

"Pain-sama went there after the eight tails. He must've caught onto the seven-tails."

"Not if the seven-tails is a well-kept secret." Ken smiled as they ran.

"Ken."

"Yes, Kakuzu-sama?"

"Wipe that goofy grin off your face before I wipe your goofy self off this continent."

"Sorry, Kakuzu-sama. I'll try not to smile."

"Stop apologizing, it shows that you're weak. And you're not even Ken, you're a sentient sword. You can stop smiling whenever you want."

"I have to keep up the act, Kakuzu-sama."

"If you hate formalities so much, why do you call everyone sama?"

"Just a sign of respect."

"But when somebody tries to use your full name, you tell them not too."

"That's correct."

'Ken."

"Yes, Kakuzu-sama?"

"Shut up."

"Yes, Kakuzu-sama." Ken smiled and they continued running.

---xxx---

"Lord Raikage, our forces are prepared to move out." Denrei said as they walked down a hallway. The Raikage nodded grimly and looked back to his allies: The Tsuchikage, Kazekage, Orochimaru, and Tsunade.

"I trust word has been sent to each of your forces to join us outside of Amegakure?"

"Yes, of course." The Kazekage spoke softly and walked briskly with the burly Raikage.

"Our soldiers are yours as well, Lord Raikage." The Tsuchikage said in his deep voice.

"The Land of Fire is prepared." Orochimaru smiled slyly as he spoke. "Tsunade dear, what of your soldiers?" Tsunade just glared daggers at him. "Oh, yes that right, a handful of teenagers spread across the world. I hope they aren't late."

"Orochimaru, enough. There is no need to instigate her." The Raikage spoke without looking at him.

"My apologies, Lord Raikage." Orochimaru closed his eyes and nodded slightly, before looking back to Tsunade out of the corners of his eyes with a confidant grin.

"Very well then. Denrei, send them out! Kumogakure goes to war this day! For Jirabi!" Denrei nodded, stopped walking, kneeled, and disappeared in a flash of lightning. They walked to the end of the hall, and through a massive double door with the inscription "Raikage" on it. It was a dojo-like room, and across it was a magnificent set of battle-armor, like a samurai might have worn. It stood on a stand, silently staring back at them through the demonic-mask. "Time for the Raikage to make his contribution." He closed the door behind him and closed his eyes.

---xxx---

"They won't attack us, they'll let us destroy all the guardians for them." Naruto said quietly.

"Yes, so do we attack now or play into their hand?" Ken said with a smile.

"We keep moving, and take out the guardians and the doors. If we're lucky, the five-tails will be friendly."

"Naruto-kun, the five-tails was locked away because she went insane from having the bijuu inside her."

"Like I said, if we're lucky." Naruto took a deep breath, and went further down the stairs.

The group walked into a fairly large room, noting two suits of armor, complete from helm to boots, flanking the door that said "Fire" on it in an indented symbol. Each had both hands clasped around the shaft of a polearm with a flame shaped head, which had it's head level with their face.

"Naruto-kun, those are the guardians, I can sense a slight amount of chakra at their core. Be careful."

"Got it." Naruto walked closer, straight at the door. The two made no motion to intercept him, so he reached out to touch the symbol. The two tridents immediately blocked his hand. He pulled back and stepped out of reach.

"By order of the Mizukage, the prisoner is not to be released under any circumstances. Retreat or be destroyed." The two guardians spoke together eerily.

"I can't do that. Someone else is coming to take her for evil purposes, and we are going to protect her!"

"Any intruders will be destroyed, beginning with you." The two leapt forward, swinging straight down with the weapons. Naruto braced his legs and reached out, grabbing each polearm just under the head, wrestling with them as they forced them down upon him.

"Heh…you guys aren't so tough!" Naruto shouted as he bent his knees, then stood up abruptly, forcing them backwards. They regained their footing and tilted their heads.

"The intruder is powerful. Mundane means will not be enough. Initiate level two security measures." Openings all over the floors began to reveal themselves, approximately five feet between any given two. Each shot gouts of fire straight up to the ceiling, illuminating the room clearly. They seemed to light in no particular order, randomly shooting the orange flames all over the room.

"At least this won't be boring." Naruto grinned at the two guardians who stared lifelessly at the three.

"It never is with you, Naruto-san."

"You two ready?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun."

"Yes, Naruto-san."

"Alright then, let's do this!" Naruto ran forward at the two, who stood side-by-side. He leapt into the air, leaning to the side, going horizontal towards them, while throwing a right leg at one, a right fist at the other. They each blocked with their polearms, and Naruto dropped to the ground, landing on all fours, his head facing the way they had entered. He leaned forward onto his hands, then kicked out abruptly with his legs, catching each guardian under the jaw. "Naruto!" He shouted, summoning several clones. "Uzemaki!" he cried, and each of the clones leapt into the air, split between the two guardians, each throwing out several punches and kicks. Naruto leapt into the air between them, rolling over, head first, then dropping a heel into each of their heads. "Barrage!" The two guardians fell heavily to the ground in a clanging of steel. Several of the clones disappeared as the fire sprouted, but the rest stood over the two. The two guardians climbed to their feet, and stood one behind the other. Ken and Hinata moved forward but stopped as curtain of fire opened between them and Naruto.

"Level three security measures activated. The intruder may not be allowed to leave alive."

"Naruto-kun!"

"It's fine, these guys aren't so tough!" Naruto used one of his clones and began spinning chakra in his right hand. "A Rasengan should do the trick! Here it goes!" He ran forward, behind a clone, who threw itself at the guardian. The guardian slashed out, destroying the clone, but leaving itself open to the attack. "Rasengan!" Naruto cried out, forcing the attack into the guardian's skull. The guardian stopped moving, and a bright light in it's chest began to get brighter and brighter. "Uh-oh…" Naruto said as he ducked behind a clone, and the guardian exploded, bathing a small portion of the room around it in flames. Naruto's clone was destroyed, but he stood unharmed. Half of the curtain of fire fell to the ground, gone, as did half of the spouting fires stop. Naruto looked back at the other two, that looked at him happily.

"Naruto-kun, you got them!"

"No, I only got one…where'd his buddy go?" Naruto scanned the room and saw the second one emerging from one of the gouts of fire behind Ken, it's polearm reared back to strike. "Ken! Behind you!" Spinning on a dime, Ken drew his sword, and slashed across its chest. It stopped moving, and the light began to grow in its chest. "No!" Naruto ran forward, and saw that Hinata was out of range of the burst, so he tackled Ken to the ground, shielding him with his body. The flames scorched another section of the room, and the remaining fires went out.

"Naruto-san…"

"Heh…don't worry about it. Just a little burn." Naruto stood weakly, revealing that the entire back of his shirt was burnt away, and his skin was heavily burnt as well.

"Naruto-san! You're burnt, badly!"

"Hinata, don't worry, it's just a little burn." He started heading over to the door, and Hinata came up from behind.

"Sorry Naruto! Gentle Fist: Two Palms!" She spoke softly and poked his back twice. His eyes went wide and he dropped to his knees.

"Hinata! Owwowow!" His face was wrenched in pain as he fell forward to all fours.

"Now stop. Tsunade-sama taught me a lot about medical jutsu, I can heal your burn. I just need a few minutes." She took a small pouch off of her hip, and poured some water from it into her hand. "You won't feel a thing, Naruto-kun."

Ken stood by, looking at the two, particularly Naruto's awful burns. "Naruto-kun, why did you…"

"Heh…Don't worry about – OW HINATA! You said I wouldn't feel a thing!"

"You'd have tensed up if I said it was going to hurt, now stop moving, Naruto-kun."

"I was facing him, if that'd caught me, I'd have been burnt all over my body, maybe even dead, as close as I was…you barely know me. Why did you save me?" Though his voice had spoken in disbelief, he still smiled the whole time.

"You saved my life too, remember? I owed you, now we're even." Naruto smiled and winced as Hinata healed the burn. "I'd have done that whether you'd saved me before or not. It's the way of the Leaf Shinobi, we protect our comrades." Ken nodded, still smiling.

Naruto sat on the ground, shirtless, rotating his shoulders after Hinata had finished sometime later.

"Wow, great job Hinata! I feel great!"

"Sure, Naruto-kun."

"Naruto-san, each of those guardians left behind a small sigil. Each appears to be half of the symbol for fire. If we put them in the door, I'm guessing that it will break the seal and let us move forward.

"Great thinking Ken, let's get going!" Naruto smiled as he pulled another shirt from his bag and slid it on. He picked up the two sigils and placed them in the door. Sure enough, two torches flanking the door lit up, and flames wreathed the door, which slowly creaked open.

"Alright, let's get going!" Naruto said cheerfully as he led the way down the staircase in front of them.

So, did you guys enjoy it? I hope you like how everything is progressing and I'm sure Chouji would be ecstatic with how much love you guys have given him! Time for Naruto's arc to get really going! With Itachi and Kisame lurking behind, how will this end, and what is the power of the mysterious five tailed beast, and if she was powerful enough that she had to be locked away, will Naruto and the gang be able to take her down? PLEASE REVIEW, I can't stress that enough, it makes me ecstatic to see how much you guys enjoy my writing. Also, for those of you I haven't heard from in awhile, c'mon review it? I love feedback! Thanks guys! You've been great, and thanks for supporting me through 34 chapters of The Fall of Konaha!


	35. Chapter 35 Shocking!

Hey guys! Sorry I took so long! I know I've been away and postless for sometime but now I've got a new chapter for you! I've been struggling with inspiration and plot ideas, because my friend that was co-writing with me basically stopped giving me ideas once they got out of Konaha back in like chapter 5 or w/e XD Anyway! I hope you guys enjoy, please read, review, reply, and if you have something you want to see in the story, gimme an idea and maybe it'll get into the story! Enjoy guys!

Another descending stairwell brought them to an empty room, identical to the room before, except for the lack of guardians. Naruto moved into the room curiously.

"There's nobody here. Hinata?"

"Naruto-kun, there are two guardians here as well, I can sense the chakra but it's become less pinpointed and more omnipresent."

"Omnipresent?" Naruto had a blank look on his face.

"She means it's everywhere." Ken smiled and peered around the seemingly empty room.

"The Fire Revenants have been defeated." A ghostly voice floated around the room. "You will not pass this hall."

"The hell we won't! Send on your guardians!" Naruto shouted out to the empty room.

"As you wish." There was a miniscule flash near Naruto, and a bright red cut appeared on Naruto's left arm.

"Ow! What was that?" Naruto cried out as he spun to see his attacker, though there was nothing.

"Welcome to the Windwalker's hall. You won't escape." Another flash, and another cut, this time longer, and across Ken's back.

"Naruto-kun, I think the Jinchuriki is safe here. Perhaps we should retreat." Ken said with his ever-present smile, his voice betraying nothing that would indicate he wanted to leave.

"No! Never retreat, never surrender, and never leave a comrade behind! That's how we do it in the Leaf Village!" He clasped his hands together. "Let's see them beat all of us! Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" Twenty Narutos appeared, and looked to the original. "Guys, start swinging! Hinata says they're everywhere!" The Naruto cheered and started swinging randomly at the air. Every few seconds, another Naruto was destroyed, until there were none left.

"Your tactics will not work. Flee now and your lives will be spared." Naruto and Ken each took another slash, and spun, hoping to find an enemy to attack.

"Naruto-kun, try it again!"

"You've got it! Multi-shadow clone jutsu!" Another group of Narutos, and another blind frenzy of random attacks. A few moments passed before they were beaten. "Again?!" Naruto looked to Hinata but she shook her head.

"No, I've figured it out. Follow my lead." Hinata stood still, watching the room with her Byakugan. "Ken, attack left!" Ken spun and slashed, this time his sword connecting with something.

"It worked, well done Hinata-san!"

"Naruto, above you!" He threw a punch and connected with something hard.

"I got him!"

"The girl is smart, and can sense our presence. This is the Byakugan of the Hidden Leaf Village's Hyuga clan. She will die first." The calm voice floated again on the wind, and Naruto rushed to stand in front of Hinata defiantly.

"Like hell she will! You don't touch a hair on her head!"

"Naruto, straight ahead!" He followed her command instantly, lashing out forward with a brutal sucker punch. A load clang was heard upon impact, and again against the door.

"I think they're getting the message! Hinata, where now?"

"I can only see them when they attack. Right now, they're intangible, meaning we can't hurt them, but to attack they have to focus their chakra, making them tangible, and that's when I can see their location."

"Got it. Just tell me where to swing!"

"The Hyuga girl has figured it out, from the sound of it. A lucky guess, but then again one of her clan shouldn't be underestimated. We'll have to double our efforts. You have one final chance to leave before your lives will come to an end."

"No! The jinchuriki isn't safe here, we've got to get her out!"

"Sad. The Leaf Village has always prided itself on it's objectivity, and it's intelligent shinobi. We will send word to your Hokage of your intrusion, and of your death."

"Naruto, they've been here awhile, they don't know that there is no Hokage anymore."

"I don't care how long they've been here! They're in between me and my mission! Shikamaru says we have to get the Jinchuriki so we can keep them safe from Akatsuki! They said this was the Windwalker's Hall, and I know something about wind-natured chakra too!" He stuck his hands together again, and two clones appeared. "Hinata, just tell me where to go!" He held his hand back, and the clones went to work. A bright sphere of chakra spun rapidly in his hand. It had two blade like shapes sticking out from two opposite sides.

"Your shadow clones are useless."

"Naruto, behind your left clone!" Naruto roared and spun, thrusting the sphere behind the clone.

"RASEN-SHURIKEN!" Slashing sounds resonated through the room, and a floating suit of armor began to fade into view as the attack tore through it.

"The attack is powerful, the guardians must be joined to survive." The second guardian appeared fully and it held two hands out, a blue tendril of energy seeping towards the other guardian as it suffered the full force of Naruto's strike. Ken drew his sword and slashed into the tendril as his sword shone bright with his own chakra, severing the flow of energy. The first guardian fell apart entirely, and a charm fell out of the chest-piece. Ken leapt to his side and thrusted the sword into the chest of the exposed guardian. It reared back and shook before fading, it's armor falling to the ground useless.

"Well done, Naruto-san."

"Nice shot yourself, Ken!" Naruto gave Ken the thumbs up and Ken just smiled.

"Hinata-san, excellent job guiding our attacks." Ken continued smiling as he walked over to pick up the two sigils, one from each guardian. "Shall we continue further?" He placed the two sigils in the door, and with a gust of wind, it opened. Ken led the way down another stairway, descending further and further under the earth. They saw a large stone slab of a door in front of them as the stairs stopped, an image of a raging storm chiseled into the stone.

"I bet these guardians are lightning based." Naruto said with a victorious grin.

"Naruto-kun, nothing here has truly been as it seemed. We should still be cautious."

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto grinned as he leaned on the door. "Ready guys?" The other two nodded, so he tensed his legs and pushed on the door. A crack in the center opened into a double door, and a loud humming could be heard. Two silver columns stood in the center of the room, roughly twenty feet apart, each with a white orb on the top, a constant stream of lightning passing between the two orbs, which were about ten feet in the air.

"See? Told you, definitely lightning based." He smiled and pointed at the columns, then to the two immobile guardians across the room.

"The Fireweaver's and Windwalker's chambers have been breached. They must be stopped, here, at the Thundercaller's chamber, before they pass into the lower chambers and are allowed to release the prisoner."

"Don't you understand? We're trying to protect the Junchuriki!"

"Naruto-san, I don't think they can understand you, they're just lifeless automatons."

"The prisoner is safe, and you will not pass."

"The others said the same thing! We have a mission to complete!"

"Such is the devotion of the Leaf Shinobi. You are a testament to the values of your village, young shinobi, but your potentially great future is over here. One of your strength should not have been so needlessly sacrificed, but for so ignorantly compromising the containments, you must be destroyed."

"Then bring it on! I'm not leaving 'till I've got the Jinchuriki safely with me!"

"Be cautious, Naruto-san, something about those two towers doesn't seem right."

"Ken, you're from this village, don't you know anything about this?"

"No, I just know that the Jinchuriki in question could utilize all five elements in combat, but her disappearance was rumored to be just that, a disappearance. The public was never told that she was being held here."

"Alright, let's do it then!" Naruto began to walk forward until Hinata called out.

"Naruto-kun, look at your hair…" Naruto looked up, and then reached with a hand. His hair was standing straight up, and flowing loosely. He turned to the others, and theirs were as well. The humming grew louder and the chain of lightning flowed between the two towers more vibrantly.

"It's just static electricity!"

"No, it's proof of how powerful those two towers are…The whole room is full of static electricity."

"Whatever, we've got a job to do!" Naruto ran forward, straight between the two towers, and met no resistance. "See? It's fine!" He ran forward and leapt off the ground, rearing back with a sucker punch towards one of the guardians. Not a second after his feet left the ground, a pillar of lightning shot from the ceiling to his body to the floor. He was frozen in midair as he cried out in agony, then fell to the ground, not moving.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Of course, there's so much electricity in the room…It can't hurt us so long as we remain grounded to the earth, but the second we lose that connection to the ground, the lightning is left free to ravage our bodies."

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata looked helplessly across the room at the motionlessly Naruto.

---xxx---

"Sasuke-san!" One of the Kumogakure guards saluted sharply as he skidded to a stop. Lee stopped shortly after him, and Kankuro ran in last, breathing heavily, doubled over as they stopped.

"Where's the Raikage?"

"On the battleground, Sasuke! War has been declared on Amegakure!"

"Amegakure? Why? We're after Akatsuki!"

"It seems they're being led by the same man! He and his underling convinced Kirabi to leave the village for a short time and then kidnapped him!"

"They've got Kirabi?! Damnit! That's one less Jinchuriki we can prevent them from taking…I hope the others are faring better than we are."

---xxx---

"Well done…Zetsu, bring the four-tails over here." The Akatsuki were standing in the middle of a large, dark cavern. Zetsu, the half black, half white man with the venus-fly-trap looking plant on his head walked forward with Roshi in his arms. He set him on the ground.

"Leader, Kisame and I cannot do this right now. Spending 3 days sitting down is not an ideal move for us. We're following the nine-tails as he attempts to rescue the five-tails from a prison."

"Then I guess we'll start without you. When you've got them both, return to me here."

"This is also a poor time for Kentogatta and I. If we sit down for three days, we'll lose the Uchiha boy." Itachi shot a glare at Kakuzu, but no one seemed to notice, except Kisame.

"Then we'll start without them."

"You want to perform the ritual with so few?" Zetsu asked. "Four years ago, with nine after losing Orochimaru, it could be done, but we've lost Hidan, and now Sasori, Deidara was well. With half of our organization occupied, is the ritual even possible?"

"We'll find out. Those of you that can stay, do so. The rest, get out of my sight." He raised his hands, and the cavern trembled as the monolithic stone hands rose from the ground. The four stepped onto their respective fingers as they rose, and waited. "Begin the ritual. This could take longer than three days."

---xxx---

"This is not an opportune target for us." Ken smiled as he and Kakuzu looked over the gathering of Kages as they marched down the streets of Kumogakure.

"It isn't the first time I've been assigned to defeat a Kage."

"But you failed the first time."

"This one isn't the first Hokage."

"And he's surrounded by several other Kages. It's a miracle that Pain-sama and Konan-sama got away unharmed."

"I understand the complications behind this mission, Kentogatta."

"I thought it would be best to review strategy before we decide to make our attack."

"A brilliant deduction, Kentogatta."

"Kakuzu-sama, please, just Ken is fine." Ken smiled his broad, goofy smile and Kakuzu scowled.

"You're useless."

"How do you know that? We've never even fought together."

"I'm the senior member of Akatsuki, so you'll follow my orders regardless, Ken. And I know you're useless, at least compared to me."

"How do you know that? We've never even fought together."

"Because I have several lifetimes of battle experience."

"Speaking of that, have you replaced the hearts you lost fighting the Konaha children?"

"The next one I take will be yours, Ken." Ken just smiled in response and Kakuzu sighed.

---xxx---

"Naruto-san!" Ken looked across the room at the motionless Naruto as the two guardians stood on either side of him, motionless. "Hinata-san, it would seem we will have to do this one without Naruto-san. Don't take your feet off the ground and we should be fine."

"Somehow I doubt that's the only defense mechanism in this room."

"You're probably right." He smiled and proceeded cautiously into the room.

"Turn back, it would be a shame if you suffered the same fate as your friend."

"You've told us to turn back so many times, what makes you think we will now?"

"Very well then. You shall perish with your friend." Ken ran forward, sword sheathed, his hand on his hilt, smiling as usual. The two guardians moved to defend the door, standing stoicly in Ken's way. He drew his sword in a wide orc and thrust it forward, and a cyclone of wind sprang forward, blasting one of the guardians against the wall. Ken sprang forward into the center of the cyclone and stabbed at the immobilized guardian, piercing his chest with his sword. The guardian leaned back as his body shook, and shone brightly with energy. Lightning shot from the guardian's chest, connecting with Ken, lifting him off the ground, and throwing him across the room, at which time he was struck with an enormous bolt of lightning from the ceiling, suspending him in the air for a brief moment before he collapsed to the ground, not moving.

"Ken! Naruto!" Hinata said loudly as she looked at the two motionless ninja in the room, then to the one remaining guardian.

"You will not pass, little kunoichi. Sadly, I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave."

---xxx---

Alright guys, what did you think? Please review! Let me know what you think!


	36. Chapter 36 Visions of the Dead

Hey guys! Been a month or so but I finally got a bit of my groove back! Hopefully I'll keep these posts going! I've also got my other story up as well, took some time to write both chapters before I posted, so please check out the latest update of By Any Means Necessary! Thanks for reading guys, please review! Thanks!

The Raikage stood, in full battle regalia, before his men, outside the gates of Kumogakure. The other Kages stood behind him, The Kazekage, the Tsuchikage, and Orochimaru, their own forces marshaled behind them.

"It has come to our knowledge that the leader of Amegakure, known as Pain, has assassinated their former leader, and has formed the criminal organization known as Akatsuki. They are responsible for the kidnap of Kirabi, as well as several other Jinchuriki, including my own children Raiden and Yugito. As Pain is the head of both Amegakure and Akatsuki, I have declared war on Amegakure! Quarter will be given to those who refute Pain as their leader and surrender unconditionally to our forces! A swift death will be dealt to those who refuse surrender! Let the full might of the four great nations descend upon Kumogakure, and let Pain see the error of his ways!" He stood tall as his gaze met each of his men. They stood at attention, firm and fearless, awaiting orders. "Do not attempt to engage Pain, or any other enemy dressed in black robes with a red cloud pattern alone! They are members of Akatsuki and should be considered extremely dangerous!" He watched again as they nodded as he finished speaking. "TO WAR!" He roared, and the forces before him cried out. In unison, they clasped their hands together, and in a flash of lightning, the cloud nin disappeared. The other three armies disappeared in their own unique way, the Earth nin seemingly crumbling into dirt, while the sand nin became sand and were swept away with the wind, and Orochimaru's forces disappeared in a flash of fire.

---xxx---

Hinata stood alone before the lone guardian, her two partners on the ground, not moving, having been dealt tremendous blows with electrical energy.

"You should not have come, little Hyuga. The prisoner will be kept here, for so long as we have deemed necessary."

"We're trying to protect the Jinchuriki, don't you get it? There is a criminal organization trying to capture all the Jinchuriki for unknown reasons, and we have to stop them! These are S-class ninja, all dangerous and extremely skilled!"

"And our prison will hold. None will steal the Jinchuriki from this cell. We are it's jailors, and you will die for your intrusion."

"They're right behind us! They're in the prison too, they're going to try and take the Jinchuriki from you!"

"You will fail, as will they. All intruders will be destroyed." The guardian drew a scimitar from it's waist and began moving solemnly towards Hinata. She crouched into the Gentle Fist stance, waiting for the guardian to make the first strike. "Ah yes, the Gentle Fist style." The guardian stopped as it spoke. "Let us see how you fare, hmm?" The guardian disappeared suddenly in a flash of light, reappearing behind her as it stabbed out with it's sword. Hinata spun instantly on her feet, palming the blade to the side as she stepped forward and struck out at the guardian.

"Gentle Fist Art, Eight Trigrams! Two palms!" She struck it twice in the chest, before spinning again to it's side. "Four palms!" Two more blows, and the guardian might as well have stood still, as fast as Hinata slid effortlessly across the floor, her hair floating aimlessly above her with the static electricity. "Eight palms!" She stabbed out four more times, pin pricks of chakra lighting up with each strike as she moved faster, jabbing out harder. "Sixteen palms! Thirty-two palms! Sixty-four palms! One hundred-thirty-two palms!" She jabbed out furiously, connecting on each blow, illuminating the flow of chakra through the guardian as electrical energy began to glow.

"Well done, little Hyuga, but will you survive yet?" The guardian fell to a knee as the glow shone brightly, electrical chakra crackling and snapping as a great amount welled in it's chest. Hinata slid away from it, breathing heavily as the bolt of lightning tore out from the guardian, aiming for her chest. She spun and ducked under the bolt, which shot over her shoulder and crashed into the wall, before ricocheting off, shooting back towards her. She spun again, narrowly avoiding the bolt as thunder boomed around the room. "How long can you dodge, little girl? The more it bounces against the walls, the faster it will go!" Hinata continued to dodge desparately, noting the same fact, that it was indeed speeding up as it ricocheted around the room, bouncing off ceiling, floor, and wall alike.

Her heart began to race as she realized the mission had fallen entirely to her now, in her ability to survive this battle and then revive her friends from their injuries.

_I can't dodge this forever, what am I going to do? _She looked over briefly, her eyes resting on Naruto's face briefly. _Naruto…How would you escape this one? _

"He wouldn't give up, ever. He'd keep trying, keep fighting, until he'd figured it out or won. You must do the same, Hinata." Hinata spun rapidly around the bouncing bolt to see Neji standing there, his form incorporeal and insubstantial.

_Neji! He's dead!_

"You have to focus, Hinata. That bolt of lightning is simply chakra. If the Hyugas can be proud of anything, it is our ability to stop the flow of chakra. Use the gifts that have come naturally to you. I believe in you, Hinata. I did not sacrifice my life to save yours in vain."

_Neji…_ A tear rolled down her cheek as she ducked behind one of the pillars, letting the bolt of lightning bounce off the pillar, then listened carefully as it bounced on the walls, changing direction and moving around the pillar. It bounced off the ceiling and shot straight down at her, as she closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "Rotation!" She cried out and spun, emitting chakra from every direction, a pale blue shield surrounding her, and the bolt struck, held for a moment, and then shot off in another direction, continuing its wayward path, it's speed increasing still.

"You're not thinking clearly, Hinata. Don't give up, you are the last heir to the Hyuga family, you must endure, you must fight on."

_Yes, Neji…I have to win, I have to survive! I have to break the flow of Chakra! _She stopped moving yet again, her eyes fierce, intent on victory and settled into the Gentle Fist stance once more. As the bolt rocketed towards her, her eyes flashed and she slid forward, an outstretched palm, outlined with a dense wall of chakra, blocked the path of the bolt. Her other hand glowed as well as she spun, chopping down onto the bolt of lightning, severing it in half. The two halves shot off in separate directions, bouncing endlessly around the room, and she shut her eyes hard, almost lost to despair as she continued dodging.

Nothing I try is working! How do I survive this? The only way the other bolt stopped was by striking Ken!

"This is your task now Hinata, you alone have lasted this long and survived the Guardians. Your destiny is to rescue the Jinchuriki, and to defeat Akatsuki. You cannot avoid that fate, and so you will not fail here today."

She continued her tactic, blocking the bolts and chopping down, severing them in half, but was only succeeded in increasing the number of bolts bouncing around the room. The room crackled and hummed with energy as she danced around the room, her movement speeding up out of necessity, her eyes wide open, her byakugan having long since lost it's minute blind-spot thanks to her training. She continued her seemingly endless task, blocking and chopping, momentarily severing the flow of chakra, sending the two bolts in opposite directions. Thousands of bolts now sprang around the room, miniscule sparks at this point, all homing in on her direction after every bounce. It was all she could do to block each bolt as it flew towards her, were she not altering their path the increasing speed would have overwhelmed her. She ducked, then spun, narrowly avoiding half a dozen bolts with precise movements, then stood straight and palmed straight out, blocking a bolt, then chopping it as it flew away, expecting to see two sparks, but instead, she saw a tiny puff of smoke as the sparks disappeared. She stood with relief a moment, then smiled in victory, continuing her task. "Gentle Fist Art! Eight Trigrams! Ultimate Defense!" Blue blades of chakra sprung from her hands, and she moved her hands in furious arcs, slicing through the bolts, the entire room filling with smoke as she destroyed the remnants of the guardian, it's energy dispersing throughout the room. She breathed heavily as she rested, the last of the bolts destroyed, the only sound the gentle humming of the two generators. She stepped over to Naruto and Ken, took a deep breath, and placed a hand glowing with green chakra over each of their chests.

---xxx---

"Ino, you're finally awake. Are you alright?" Chouji stood smiling over her as he helped her to her feet. Temari and Shikamaru stood nearby, Temari passive and emotionless while Shikamaru smiled at her recovery.

"Nnnh…What happened?"

"Deidara, the clay guy, he tried to kill his master out of revenge and nearly caught us all in the process." Shikamaru said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Did we win?"

"Yeah, we did." Shikamaru smiled.

"Yeah, Shika-" Chouji began to speak.

"Chouji beat the guy by himself." Shikamaru said as he cut his friend off, and looked over to the Akimichi child with a wink. "His own body was a puppet, none of my techniques worked. Chouji really came through today, whatever he did for training with the Tsuchikage really worked." Chouji smiled and looked down at Ino, his cheeks getting a little rosy as he blushed from the compliment.

"Good job, Chouji." Ino smiled and kissed his cheek after standing on her toes.

"Two more members of Akatsuki are dead, do we know how many they started with?" Temari asked as she looked to Shikamaru.

"We discovered something that means much more than our victory today."

"What's that, Shikamaru?"

"Those two guys…think about it. All the members of Akatsuki are S-class criminals, missing-nin from their villages. You can't be an S-class ninja without a little pride, if not arrogance, and they obviously have problems with organization and structure. Those two guys fought constantly."

"So what you're saying is-" Temari started.

"We just exposed Akatsuki's weakness."

---xxx---

"Lady Tsunade!" Lee shouted as he, Sasuke, and Kankuro leapt to catch up with the traveling army.

"Lee? You're here, when did you get back?"

"Just today! We have something to report!"

Sasuke caught up to her and spoke softly. "The sixth Kazekage is also the seven tailed Jinchuriki."

"What?! He is? Well, I suppose he's certainly safe here."

"Are you sure?"

"Where could he possibly be safer? He's surrounded by a thousand shinobi, not to mention four other Kage-level ninja."

"Heading straight into enemy territory. We're delivering three Jinchuriki to Akatsuki if the others join up." Sasuke spoke with mild irritation, and Tsunade looked at him, an eyebrow raised.

---xxx---

"Pain, everything is going according to plan."

"Speak freely, Zetsu."

"The Cloud nin have assembled an army with their allies, the earth and wind nations, as well as a following from the Sound village and Orochimaru's Venom village."

"And?"

"And they are headed our way, bent on rescuing the eight-tails you and Konan captured, and on waging war on Amegakure."

"And I trust all the Kages are seeing to this battle personally?"

"Yes, Pain."

"Including the Sixth Kazekage?"

"Of course."

"And the Konaha children, the ones that escaped the disaster?"

"A nuisance, Pain, nothing more."

"They have killed the vast majority of our forces, Zetsu. Only five members of Akatsuki remain, you and I of course, Konan, Itachi and Kisame. Sasori and Deidara died fighting three of the Konaha children."

"I see. Two of them, tailed by Ken, are entering a catacomb within the mist village that houses the five-tailed Jinchuriki. Itachi and Kisame are following them."

"Go on."

"The three that defeated Sasori and Deidara would be in the Earth nation still, with their mission of safeguarding the four-tails having failed, they will likely return to their leader, Lady Tsunade."

"And Itachi's brother?"

"The youngest Uchiha has fallen in with the forces headed here, as have his two companions."

"And the nine-tailed brat, in the mist village, will he move with them?"

"I believe so, that would make the most sense, assuming he survives his encounter with Itachi and Kisame."

"Very well. Collect the rings of the fallen members and return to me. You are dismissed, Zetsu."

"Yes, Pain-sama."

---xxx---

"Thanks, Hinata." Naruto spoke softly as he rubbed the back of his head. "That medical jutsu Grandma Tsunade taught you really works." Hinata just nodded and smiled her shy smile, and Ken smiled his own wide grin of gratitude.

"Indeed, well done Hinata-san. Our mission would have been a failure without you." Hinata did not speak, simply stood and gathered the seals, opening the door at the end of the room. It opened slowly, and revealed a stone hallway, not well-worked like the others, rough-hewn and brown instead of a polished gray.

"You have succeeded in gaining entry to the lower levels…Your skill is to be commended, and your stupidity is to be punished. The trials you face beyond this will not be so easy as the few before. Welcome to the Earthshaker's chamber."

"Bah! Bring it on, I've got a job to do and I won't leave until I've rescued that Jinchuriki!"

"Let's take this one slow, Naruto."

"Yeah, sure…" Naruto sighed and walked down the hall. Ken and Hinata followed, Ken having to actually duck his head. They followed the winding passage until it opened into an enormous chamber, a hundred feet high and a thousand to the other end.

"Alright, what've you got in store for us now!?" Naruto shouted. "Bring it on, I don't have time to waste with your games!"

"If you so desire it, then it shall be." From the shadows at the far side of the room, a great rumbling could be heard as the chamber shook violently. An enormous stone automaton reared it's head and revealed itself. It walked towards the center of the room, its footsteps leaving craters and causing tremors across the room. It scraped its head across the ceiling but didn't much seem to care. It had two eyes that glowed black, and it growled, it's booming voice shaking the hall yet again.

"You have dared to wake the-"

"Let me guess, the Earthshaker?" Naruto said as he fell to all fours to keep his balance.

---xxx---

Thanks for reading guys! Please review; pass it on to your other fanfic loving friends, whatever! It's the reviews that make writing worthwhile; you guys rock! Stay awesome guys, until next time!


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